{"id":283088,"date":"2023-01-30T15:10:36","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T15:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/?post_type=parents&p=283088"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:00:02","slug":"wildlife-photography-tips-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"parents","link":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/ie\/parents\/wildlife-photography-tips-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s how kids can take wildlife photographs like a Nat Geo pro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There may not be a lioness<\/a> taking down an antelope or a humpback whale<\/a> breaching in your garden, but kids can still capture stunning wildlife photography just beyond your kitchen window. And it\u2019s a great way to instil an appreciation for the natural world in children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhotography opens a child\u2019s eyes,\u201d says photographer Suzi Eszterhas, who\u2019s captured images of cheetahs<\/a>, lion cubs, and sloths. \u201cNoticing the beauty in the world through their photographs every single day opens that door to a secret world that we don\u2019t notice when we tune things out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"wildlife<\/a>
Patience to wait for just the right shot can help young photographers capture images like this sea otter and her newborn pup in Monterey, California. Photograph by Suzi Eszterhas. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Before handing over your smartphone or camera, Eszterhas suggests establishing some ground rules. First, keep kids from getting too close to their wild subjects. (Any critter can be unpredictable when spooked, even the cute ones). Discourage them from creeping up on baby birds or fawns, since that might keep mum away. And advise children that if an animal stops what it\u2019s doing because they\u2019re around, their presence is probably alarming it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked Nat Geo experts like Eszterhas for wildlife photography tips to share with budding shutterbugs. Here\u2019s what they said…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get inspired.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

National Geographic photographers like Eszterhas have been all over the world with their cameras – but before that, they started off in their own gardens and local parks. Encourage your kids to look for wildlife wherever they go. You’d be surprised what stories they can find on a walk home from school, in a nearby flowerbed or by carefully observing a local tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help them seek out a wide range of beautiful photographs too – of animals around the world, and ones a bit closer to home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One great resource is right here on the kids’ pages of National Geographic Kids website<\/a>. Plus, the pages of our monthly magazines are packed with extraordinary images sure to inspire your young readers. Spark their imagination with a subscription<\/a> packed full of mind-blowing photography that will have them itching to capture images of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Wait for the right moment.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/strong>Patience is probably the most important part of my job,\u201d Eszterhas says. \u201cWe can\u2019t make<\/em> animals or insects \u2018do things,\u2019 so you need the patience to let things happen around you and wait for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encourage your kids to sit quietly and see what emerges. The longer they wait, the better chance that animals might come to them<\/em>. \u201cSpending an hour waiting for a bird or a squirrel to do something cool can result in a good photo,\u201d Eszterhas says. \u201cYou won\u2019t win \u2019em all, but if you spend enough time waiting, cool things will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn to observe.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m like a spy in the jungle,\u201d says National Geographic Explorer Sandesh Kadur, who\u2019s photographed everything from elephants to king cobras. \u201cI don\u2019t want the animals to know I\u2019m there. But by being an observer you uncover layer upon layer of intricate detail in the lives of different species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"wildlife<\/a>
By quietly observing wildlife interactions, kids can capture sweet moments between animals, like these small Indian fox pups playing outside their den. Photograph by Sandesh Kadur. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Have children keep a journal to write down all the animal activity they notice so they can figure out the best time to get certain shots. \u201cKids can go out every day for an hour before breakfast and see similar things happening, or begin to see how different things happen at different times,\u201d Kadur says. \u201cWhen they start writing these things down, the patterns will begin to emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sneak a little closer each day. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eszterhas says becoming a non-threatening part of the scenery means some animals might simply get used to photographers being around. “I was trying to photograph a den of shy black-backed jackals,\u201d she says. \u201cI spent 17 days getting them used to my presence by starting in my jeep miles away and moving closer every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a critter that regularly visits your garden or local park, have kids take pictures from afar one day, then scooch a little closer at the same time the next day. Before long, the creature might not mind being their model. (Just remember, kids need to be mindful of how their presence affects the animal\u2014if it darts away or stops what it\u2019s doing, your child is too close.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get the light right. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou always want to find the animal when they\u2019re most active, but you also want to find the animal with good light,\u201d Eszterhas says. \u201cTry waking up early in the morning before the sunrise to get the golden light of the first rays of sun on an animal. The same applies with sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think like an animal. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eszterhas suggests a little sleuthing might score the right place to set up, especially if you know where your subject will be. \u201cTry lying down on your belly to get a bird feeding on the ground,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"a<\/a>
Taking pictures at eye level provides kids with an amazing perspective for their photographs, like this one of a resting cheetah mum and cub in Kenya. Photograph by Suzi Eszterhas. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Kids can also think about creative angles. For instance, if they know that a certain bird lands on the same branch every day, they can pre-plant themselves to set up from different directions. Shooting up into a tree while on their backs? Sitting on a branch nearby? That kind of creative thinking could yield one-of-a-kind pics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch for the action shots. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kids might not spot two rhinos<\/a> clashing their horns, but a keen eye will yield great animal kingdom adversity. \u201cI was once photographing bees<\/a> for a few days and realised that insects called assassin beetles were waiting in the cactus blooms for these bees to come pollinate,\u201d Eszterhas says. \u201cThe beetles would jump out and grab the bees<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find similar wildlife excitement, kids can check out birdbaths to find a couple of garden birds<\/a> scrapping. A spiderweb is also a great spot to look for action, such as when unfortunate prey gets stuck in the arachnids\u2019 danger zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fix your focus.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Smartphones automatically focus, but insects can flit away while you\u2019re trying to get close enough for the shot. Kadur suggests preparing in advance. Instead of initially holding the camera close to a subject to focus on it, kids should try pre-focusing before shooting small targets.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a>
Pre-focusing a camera phone can help kids catch tricky shots of small, can’t-stay-still animals like this red-throated anole in Hawaii. Photograph by Sandesh Kadur. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cPoint your camera or phone at the palm of your hand,\u201d Kadur says. \u201cIt will focus on the wrinkles of your skin in your palm.\u201d Then, for many smartphones, hold your finger on the screen after focusing until the letters AF\/AE (for auto-focus and -exposure) pop up, then release your finger. Now the focus is locked, so you catch your micro-subjects without having to refocus\u2014and catch all the little details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camo can be key. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Blend in with your surroundings, and animals might not even know you\u2019re there. \u201cIf you know that birds come to a feeder at the same time each day, you can camouflage yourself in a tree or bushes,\u201d Eszterhas says. Hide among the branches or crouch between two shrubs. Birds and squirrels won\u2019t be frightened off if they can\u2019t see you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turn wildlife photography into a science.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kadur says that wildlife photography can lead to greater accomplishments. \u201cOver time kids will be creating a database of sorts, logging all they\u2019re seeing and shooting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kadur suggests that\u2014with a parent\u2019s supervision\u2014kids visit digital databases like the Cornell Lab of Ornithology\u2019s Merlin<\/a> to identify birds and add their own observations. Insects, spiders, and ants can be uploaded to the site iNaturalist<\/a>, which helps research scientists collect data about plants and animals from your community and tie it to larger numbers worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKids will then be adding to science,\u201d he says. \u201cMaybe their image will set a new record for a certain area where folks didn\u2019t know a little critter existed. By documenting and contributing, they can increase the scientific understanding of a species.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want more wildlife photography<\/strong> tips? Check out the experts’ top advice on bird photos<\/a>! <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Written by C. M. Tomlin. Sea otter and cheetah photographs (c) Suzi Eszterhas; fox and anole photographs (c) Sandesh Kadur.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There may not be a lioness taking down an antelope or a humpback whale breaching in your garden, but kids can still capture stunning wildlife photography just beyond your kitchen window. And it\u2019s a great way to instil an appreciation for the natural world in children. \u201cPhotography opens a child\u2019s eyes,\u201d says photographer Suzi Eszterhas, … Continue reading Here’s how kids can take wildlife photographs like a Nat Geo pro<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":283092,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-283088","parents","type-parents","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","countries-australia","countries-ireland","countries-new-zealand","countries-south-africa","countries-united-kingdom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop wildlife photography tips for your kids | Parents | Nat Geo Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We chat to expert photographers from National Geographic and get top tips to take your family\u2019s wildlife photography to the next level!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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