Wildlife photography ...

I know with getting out and take a photo of birds and other animals you could class yourself as a wildlife photographer ... well I don't think that would be the case - how do you know when you can class yourslef as a wildlife photograpgher? once you will a contest - sell some of you images? spend your days outside looking for new animals to take photos of ...
I have been spending a lot of my spare time trying to get some cool photos of what is around my area ... I am looking for some pointers on what classes you as a wildlife photographer??
Thanks for reading.
I have been spending a lot of my spare time trying to get some cool photos of what is around my area ... I am looking for some pointers on what classes you as a wildlife photographer??
Thanks for reading.
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Quote:I dont get the vacation time like some ... but my spare time is my lunch hour ... after work on my way home .. not a weekend away doing nothing but taking photos ... I wish for that types of spare time...
Wildlife is 24/7 Andrew...I get little time either...as does Adrian.....you just get on with it and make the most of what youve got








Having only owned a camera for two years I,m still on that learning curve. But my main photography is wildlife/birds. Do I call myself a wildlife photographer? the answer would be no. But I would say to people " I enjoy photographing wildlife". I suppose its a bit like football, loads play it at the weekend but theres a big difference between playing for your local pub to being in the premiership.

As amateurs, why do we feel the need for labels. I would describe myself as a photography enthusiast who specialises in wildlife and bird, rather than a wildlife photographer. As long as you enjoy what you do, who cares. When asked if I am a photographer, I answer "no I just enjoy taking photographs"

It's all nature, isn't it? Since I read John Shaw's books, I would put myself in a category of amateur naturalist; I love taking photos of everything that catches my eye in nature, be it animals, birds, bees, spiders, butterflies, flowers, plants, trees, etc. This time of year I am recording what I see, and later on in the winter, I'll have more time to spend at the computer and my books researching what I have recorded. The research part is just as enjoyable to me as the picture taking, and it helps fill my time, it's what hobbies are all about. I don't need a title to do any of that, and I do it for my own enjoyment. Also, the more we understand about our subjects, the better we can find, and photograph them.
Denny
Denny

Why don't you look at the rules for some natural history competitions. Basically wildlife is just that - free and unrestricted in its movement. That's the only restriction on entering these competitions. Urban wildlife is still wild, but I suppose that excludes the local bloody moggies whose owners won't control them.
If you insist in labelling yourself then you're a wildlife photographer if you photograph unrestrained animals and birds. Me, I just photograph anything!
Alan
If you insist in labelling yourself then you're a wildlife photographer if you photograph unrestrained animals and birds. Me, I just photograph anything!
Alan

Quote:An interesting point Andrew
When folks ask me what I do in my spare time, or when I am on holiday, my answer is that I take photographs of wildlife
Slightly different way of wording it, but it means something a whole lot different
Adrian
Yep.
I have a friend who gets a lot of photographs used by angling magazines. But he describes himself as an angler with a camera, rather than a photographer with a fishing rod. There is a difference.
I think of a "wildlife photographer" as someone who makes his/her living from photographing wildlife on a full-time basis. I take a lot of photographs of wildlife but I am still an amateur photographer who includes wildlife amongst the range of subjects he enjoys taking photographs of.
.

We have a collection of over 300k wildlife shots, are we wildlife photographers? If someone asks what do we do we answer, invariably, we are professional librarians 
Too many labels, too much snobbery and frankly too much BS around these areas of discussion.
Label as you will, it won't make a jot of difference as to how, what where and when we use our cameras..... I suspect most other peole are the same in this respect.
If you find this discussion interesting you would love the chats we hear between birdwatchers and bird photographers LOL

Too many labels, too much snobbery and frankly too much BS around these areas of discussion.
Label as you will, it won't make a jot of difference as to how, what where and when we use our cameras..... I suspect most other peole are the same in this respect.
If you find this discussion interesting you would love the chats we hear between birdwatchers and bird photographers LOL