How to Change Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography (Beginner’s Guide)

I still remember my first attempt at wildlife photography with a "proper" camera.

I was sitting quietly by a pond, camera in hand, watching a pair of ducks paddle around.

I framed the perfect shot, pressed the shutter, and... the image turned out completely blurry. I hadn’t realised my shutter speed was too slow to capture even the slight movement of the water.

It was a frustrating moment, but it taught me something valuable: understanding how to change camera settings is vital to capturing great wildlife photos.

And once you learn to adjust them for different situations, photography becomes far less daunting—and a lot more fun!

If you’re just starting out, this guide will help you build confidence with wildlife photography camera settings. 

We’ll break down the settings you need to know, step by step, and show you how to adapt them in real-life scenarios.

By the end, you’ll feel ready to experiment and start capturing the beauty of nature around you.

Understanding Camera Setting: ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture

Before look at how to deal with specific wildlife photography scenarios, let’s go over the three key settings you’ll use the most: shutter speed, aperture and ISO.

Together, these make up the "exposure triangle." Don’t worry—it’s not as scary as it sounds.

Shutter speed (Freezing or Blurring Motion)

Shutter speed controls how long your camera’s sensor is exposed to light.

A fast shutter speed (like 1/1000 or 1/2000) freezes motion, perfect for capturing moving animals or birds in flight.

A slower shutter speed (e.g., 1/60) allows more light in and can create motion blur for artistic effects—but it’s tricky to use when photographing wildlife because animals rarely stay still!

Aperture (Depth of Field)

Aperture controls how much light enters your lens, but it also affects depth of field—how much of your image is in focus.

A wide aperture (e.g., f/2.8) creates a shallow depth of field, beautifully blurring the background and making your subject stand out.

A narrower aperture (e.g., f/11) keeps more of the scene in focus, which is great for larger animals or landscapes.

ISO (Light Sensitivity)

Think of ISO as your camera’s ability to see in the dark.

A lower ISO (like 100 or 200) works best in bright daylight, giving you crisp, clean images.

When it’s darker—such as at dawn or dusk—you’ll need to increase your ISO (e.g., 800, 1600, or higher) to let your camera capture more light.

Start Simple: Photographing Still Animals

When you’re just starting out, it’s best to practise on animals that don’t move too quickly.

Ducks, geese, or squirrels at your local park are great subjects because they’re often used to people and won’t run (or fly) off immediately.

Settings to Try

Shutter Speed: Aim for 1/250 or faster to avoid motion blur.

Aperture: Start with f/5.6 to keep your subject in focus while softly blurring the background.

ISO: Use a low ISO (e.g., 100-400) if the light is good. If it’s early morning or cloudy, increase it to 800 or higher.

Photographing Animals at Dawn or Dusk

Wildlife is often most active during the early morning and late evening. This is known as the golden hour.

The low sunlight offers stunning chances for silhouettes and backlit shots, bathing wildlife in a warm, soft glow. But the dim light can be tricky. Here’s how to tackle it:

Shutter Speed: Keep it fast enough to avoid motion blur, but if the animal is still, you can slow it down to around 1/125.

Aperture: Use a wider aperture (f/4 or f/5.6) to maximise light and create beautiful background blur.

ISO: Don’t be afraid to push your ISO to 1600 or higher to let in more light.

Stability: Use a tripod or rest your camera on a solid surface to avoid camera shake in low light.

Photographing Small Creatures

Photographing smaller creatures like butterflies or dragonflies, requires precision. Here's how to get those crisp, detailed closeups:

Shutter Speed: Keep it fast enough to avoid any motion blur, especially if your subject is moving.

Aperture: Use a narrower aperture (e.g. f/8 or f/11) as being close to your subject dramatically reduces your depth of field. When you are really close you might only have millimetres to play with!

Focus Mode: Try using single-point autofocus or even manual, to pinpoint your subject. 

Capturing Birds in Flight

Once you’ve practised on still animals and gained confidence, you can move on to birds in flight. 

This is a more advanced project, but the right camera settings will help. 

Begin with slower flying birds, such as geese, before attempting super speedy subjects like swallows and swifts. 

Some cameras can track fast-moving subjects, keeping them in focus as you pan the lens at the same speed as the bird.

settings to Try

Shutter Speed: Start with 1/1000 or faster to freeze the action.

ISO: Adjust based on the light. On a bright day, ISO 400 might work; on cloudy days, go up to ISO 800 or higher.

Focus Mode: Use continuous autofocus (AI Servo/AF-C) to track the bird as it moves.

Drive Mode: Set your camera to burst mode to take multiple shots per second—you’ll have a better chance of capturing the perfect frame.

Practice Makes Progress

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of changing camera settings for wildlife photography, it’s time to grab your gear and head outdoors!

Start small by photographing familiar wildlife like ducks or pigeons, and as your confidence in adjusting camera settings grows, tackle more dynamic subjects like birds in flight or golden hour scenes.

Remember, every great photographer was once a beginner Don’t stress over perfection; focus on enjoying the process and learning from each shot.

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