How Do Filmmakers Stay Safe While Shooting Wildlife Videos? Although wildlife photography can be stressful and even dangerous, several safeguards are in place to protect both the photographers and their subjects.
Keeping Their Distance
The easiest way to avoid danger when out shooting is to preserve your distance from wild animals and equip yourself with a powerful enough zoom lens to capture clear, interesting photos from a safe distance.
Also Read: Why Do We See Faces In Things?
It’s no secret that the zoom capabilities of the cameras found in most smartphones and even simple point-and-shoot cameras leave much to be desired, as cropped or enlarged photographs taken with such devices tend to be fuzzy or grainy.
While most people can’t capture a clear view of a baby elephant’s face from dozens or even hundreds of feet away, filmmakers working on TV shows like Blue Planet and Planet Earth have the best technology that the photographic industry has to offer, including 400mm or even 800mm zoom lens.
To avoid scaring off the subjects or making them feel uneasy, remaining hidden in the background is essential when taking photos of wild animals. The secret to delivering beautiful footage while remaining safe is to keep your distance and to know what equipment will work best.
Knowing The Animals
There’s no assurance that you’ll get great images even if you spend a lot of money on the most advanced wildlife photography equipment and slog out into the woods.
You can get the most out of your time in the field if you come prepared with specific information about the species of wildlife you hope to see, their habitat, the best times of day to see them, and other relevant details.
The top filmmakers often collaborate with scientists and other professionals to learn as much as possible about the subjects of their films.
To capture the best shots without being seen, photographers should familiarize themselves with the seasonal or migratory routines of the creatures they wish to photograph.
This tactic is universally useful: if you have never encountered the animal before, you will spend a great deal of time and effort attempting to capture the perfect shot, or you will have to cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Patience
As was previously noted, a significant portion of wildlife photography patiently waits for the target animal to make itself visible so it can be photographed.
Many wildlife documentaries have behind-the-scenes footage, with camerapeople complaining about the long days and lack of action. To get that one shot of a mating dance, territorial battle, hunt, or live birth, the best wildlife videographers must be incredibly patient and quiet.
If you’re looking for instant gratification, this is not a hobby. However, being patient is essential for the safety of the film crews.
Pushing too far into an animal’s territory, trying to precipitate a remarkable event artificially, or being excessively invasive during a special moment will increase the danger to the photographers and the animals. Due to the unpredictability of nature, professionals must learn to exercise patience on many documentary missions.
Personal Experience
Just like you can’t go out and buy some fancy cameras and expect to become a well-known nature photographer, getting consistently strong results as a cameraperson or videographer requires a great deal of time and effort spent in the field.
You need to have the intuition to know when something is about to happen, as well as the ability to read the subtle signs of nature, such as a change in the behavior of some creatures or a change in the weather indicating a better or worse probability of catching the footage.
Long-term fieldwork cultivates a familiarity with and understanding of the natural world and its inhabitants. Professional wildlife photographers rely on their sixth sense to keep them safe and guide them to the best locations to get breathtaking images.
Disinterest
Some animals, especially those who live in the savannah grasslands of Africa or other often frequented places, have become accustomed to the presence of people.
Some of the most famous and frequently photographed animals on Earth have met humans in the past; examples include the buffalo of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Marsh Pride of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Another thing to remember is that animals usually avoid fights.
How Do Filmmakers Stay Safe While Shooting Wildlife Videos? Most animals will avoid direct physical contact with humans unless they pose an immediate threat.
To a large extent, two herbivores may coexist peacefully in close quarters, just as we observe in nature with animals of different kinds, so long as they each have what they need to thrive. A human being is just another animal in the wild; most wild creatures will leave you alone if you don’t make a fuss.
