Australian wildlife photography presents unique opportunities and challenges you won’t face anywhere else. Our animals are often approachable, diverse, and active during times when photographers can actually work with decent light. But they’re also shy, fast, and sometimes dangerous. Here’s what actually works.

Understanding Your Subjects

The biggest mistake I see is treating all wildlife the same. Kangaroos behave nothing like possums, which behave nothing like coastal birds. Each species has patterns, comfort zones, and behaviours you need to understand before pointing a camera at them.

Kangaroos and wallabies are most active at dawn and dusk. Mid-morning and late afternoon are your windows. They’re surprisingly tolerant of slow, non-threatening approaches. Get low to the ground to minimize your silhouette. Move sideways rather than directly toward them. Stop frequently. Let them assess you and decide you’re not a threat.

Coastal birds—gulls, terns, pelicans, cormorants—are generally bold around humans. The challenge isn’t approach but timing. Watch their behaviour patterns. Birds fishing dive predictably. Birds resting on pylons take off into wind. Learn these patterns and pre-focus where action will happen.

Bush birds are the hardest. They’re small, fast, and hidden in complex environments. I’ve learned to work by sound first, sight second. Hear a call, freeze, locate the source, then slowly position for a shot. Rushing guarantees they’ll disappear.

The Right Equipment

Focal length matters more for wildlife than almost any other photography genre. I won’t sugarcoat this: you need at least 300mm, preferably 400-600mm for serious wildlife work. A 70-200mm can capture cooperative subjects like beach birds but won’t cut it for bush animals.

That said, don’t let equipment limitations stop you from shooting. Some of my favourite wildlife images were captured with a 200mm lens and creative approaches. Getting closer to approachable species beats sitting distant with massive glass.

Fast autofocus is essential. Modern mirrorless cameras with animal eye detection have transformed wildlife photography. The camera tracks moving subjects better than I can manually focus. This technology isn’t a luxury—it’s become expected performance.

Burst shooting modes let you capture peak moments in action sequences. I shoot 10-20 frames per second when tracking moving subjects, knowing I’ll keep maybe one or two from each sequence. Storage is cheap; missed moments aren’t.

Camera Settings

I shoot aperture priority mode for most wildlife work, typically at f/5.6 or f/8. This provides enough depth of field to keep fast-moving subjects sharp while still blurring distracting backgrounds. Wider apertures risk missing focus on moving animals.

Shutter speed needs to freeze motion. For birds in flight, I want 1/2000s minimum, faster if possible. For stationary subjects, 1/500s works. For running kangaroos, 1/1000s or above. Let ISO float as needed to maintain these speeds—noise is preferable to blur.

Focus mode should be continuous/tracking (AI Servo for Canon, AF-C for Nikon and Sony). Even “stationary” animals move constantly. Single-shot focus means refocusing between every frame.

Back button focus separates focusing from shutter release. This lets you track moving subjects continuously while choosing when to capture frames. It feels awkward initially but becomes essential once you adapt to it.

Fieldcraft and Ethics

The best wildlife photography comes from patience and respect, not expensive equipment. I’ve watched photographers with $15,000 kits produce terrible images by charging at animals while someone with a basic setup and good field skills captures compelling work.

Never pursue or harass wildlife for photos. If an animal changes behaviour because of your presence, you’re too close or too aggressive. Move back. Wait. Let them return to natural behaviour. Those images are worth more than stressed-animal shots.

Learn to read animal body language. Ears forward usually means alert but calm. Ears back often signals agitation. Birds crouch before taking off. Kangaroos thump their feet when alarmed. These signals tell you whether to advance, hold position, or retreat.

Camouflage clothing helps in some situations but isn’t essential. Neutral colors and slow movements matter more than expensive camo patterns. I shoot in regular olive or khaki clothing without issues.

Location and Timing

Wildlife photography succeeds or fails based on being in the right place at the right time. Mornings and evenings provide both better light and more active animals. Midday heat sends most Australian wildlife into shade or burrows.

National parks and wildlife reserves offer the best opportunities for beginners. Animals in these areas are habituated to humans, making approaches easier. Once you’ve developed skills there, move to less-visited locations for more natural behaviour.

Water sources attract wildlife, especially during dry periods. Find a billabong, river, or coastal area and wait. Animals come to you rather than you chasing them. This approach produces more natural, relaxed images.

Research specific locations for specific species. Not everywhere has koalas or platypuses. Online forums and local photography groups share location information freely. Don’t be too proud to ask for advice from people who know an area.

Post-Processing Considerations

Wildlife images often need more aggressive processing than other genres. Animals are frequently backlit, in dappled shade, or shot at high ISO in low light. Embrace this reality rather than fighting it.

Noise reduction has improved dramatically in recent years. I push ISO to 6400 or even 12800 when needed, knowing I can recover clean images in post-processing. A sharp, noisy image beats a blurry, clean one every time.

Cropping is standard in wildlife photography. Even with long lenses, you’ll often capture the subject smaller in frame than ideal. Don’t feel guilty about cropping—it’s part of the workflow.

Eye sharpness is non-negotiable. If the eye isn’t sharp, the image fails. Check this immediately in the field at 100% magnification. Reshoot if needed before the animal moves on.

The Learning Curve

Wildlife photography demands practice and patience more than most genres. You’ll miss shots. Animals will flee before you’re ready. Light will be wrong. Backgrounds will be cluttered. This is normal and happens to everyone.

Keep shooting despite frustrations. Each session teaches you something about animal behaviour, camera settings, or field techniques. I’ve been doing this for years and still learn from every outing.

The reward is capturing moments most people never see—a kookaburra with a snake, a kangaroo boxing match, a sea eagle fishing. These images connect viewers with wildlife they might never encounter personally. That connection is worth every early morning, mosquito bite, and missed shot along the way.