There are a myriad of things you need to know to get close to a wild bird or animal and having them trust you enough to get "the shot."  Always being taken along on hunting trips because I was the kid, "with the eyes" turned out to be invaluable when I stalk my prey with a camera.  Many of the hunting tricks that are used in the field work just as well for a wildlife photographer.  Even an African Lion's technique of ambushing his prey is a tried and true method for hunters and photographers.  You can scout out an area around a water source; look for signs of animals and a good spot to "ambush" your prey.  I have found that early morning is the greatest time of the day for seeing animals at the watering hole; they are hungry for a little breakfast, just like us. 

Trust me on this one, you're going to want the sun at your back.  Any other lit condition will set up a bunch of problems for your camera sensor.  Even the vulture comes between you and the sun so it makes him harder to see well, so pick your spot wisely.  If you need to move from your spot, you should move like you are running at the bottom of a pool.  I can't stress enough that when you are moving around your chosen prey you should move excessively slowly.  Slow, slower and slowest are the ways of moving around wildlife; outrunning a grizzly bear is out of the question, so move slow and stay away from things that could potentially eat you. 

But most of all, the best secret of what I do as a wildlife photographer living in the Wind River Canyon is this.....patience.  Have lots of patience and be prepared to be bored and uncomfortable at times.  Have a little patience, I cannot say it enough times to people who want to learn how to be a better animal photographer.  This week's photograph is a very good example of what I just said.  It took me two and one half hours for this young Rufous Hummingbird to let me into his fast paced life.  I would move a little closer, then back off; then start the process all over again.  I even backed off and went inside the cabin for an ice tea, but after two and one half hours he trusted me enough to get so very close that the photo I saw in my mind's eye was right there for me to capture with my Canon camera, and the tea hit the spot, too.  I did my job as a hunter and got my prey and was successful.  But most of all there are no computer tricks to this photo, what you see is what I saw through the viewfinder; this is real Wyoming wildlife at its best.

Camera is Canon 7D with my 300mm f/4 L-series lens, with simple adjustments in the Canon software and Elements 8.  Next week I will give you a lecture on why professionals always shoot RAW; good luck in your hunt for the perfect shot.