Wildlife Photography_ From Snapshots to Great Shots - Laurie Excell [0]
From Snapshots to Great Shots
Laurie Excell
Wildlife Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Laurie Excell
Peachpit Press
1249 Eighth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178
510/524-2221 (fax)
Find us on the Web at www.peachpit.com
To report errors, please send a note to errata@peachpit.com
Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education.
Copyright © 2012 by Laurie Excell
Associate Editor: Valerie Witte
Production Editor: Becky Winter
Developmental Editor: Anne Marie Walker
Copyeditor: Anne Marie Walker
Proofreader: Patricia Pane
Composition: Danielle Foster
Indexer: James Minkin
Cover Image: Laurie Excell
Cover Design: Aren Straiger
Back Cover Author Photo: James Crowder
Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact permissions@peachpit.com.
Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.
Trademarks
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.
ISBN-13: 978-0-321-79450-5
ISBN–10: 0-321-79450-8
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Dedication
To my friend and mentor Moose Peterson: Thanks for helping me take my wildlife photography to the next level.
Acknowledgments
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a great editorial staff to help write a book! First off, thanks to my wonderful husband for all the two-minute warnings that dinner was ready while I was writing feverishly, for the late nights I stayed up working rather than snuggling next to you, and for telling me how proud you are of me when I was experiencing writer’s block. This book would not have been written if not for my honey’s support. Thanks to my editorial team at Peachpit: Thanks Nikki McDonald for the conversations and brainstorming we did that led to this book. Thanks to Anne Marie Walker for your expertise and patience in getting all my i’s dotted and my t’s crossed, not to mention the grammatical adjustments you did to help the book read clearly and for your gentle nudging to get that next chapter in. Thanks also to Valerie Witte for taking the book to the next step in this mysterious process where I put words on paper and upload a bunch of photos that somehow turn into a beautiful book. Thanks to the rest of the team at Peachpit that does things behind the scenes to get the book to press. Thanks to my beautiful, selfless mother who asked me every day how my book was coming and gave me unbiased (yes, unbiased) critiques when needed. A special thanks to my father for putting my first camera into my hands at a young age and for opening the door to the wonderful world of photography. Thanks to you, the reader, for spending your precious money on this book. I hope you are inspired to take your photography to the next level after reading this book.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS
Recommended Equipment and Accessories for the