Wildlife photography rarely gives us a second chance.

A bird suddenly takes flight.
A lion raises its head for only a few seconds. An elephant walks through the dust just as the sun disappears behind the horizon.



In these moments, there is no time to reconsider every camera setting from the beginning.

Photographing a bird in flight requires much more than fast autofocus. You need to find the subject quickly in the viewfinder, follow its movement, select an appropriate shutter speed, and pay close attention to light, background and composition.

When we see a lion, elephant, leopard or colourful bird, our first instinct is to concentrate entirely on the animal. We think about the eyes, focus, exposure and the right moment to press the shutter.



Later, however, we may discover that something is missing from the photograph.

I have returned from more than one safari convinced that I had captured a strong photograph, only to discover later that it was not as sharp as it appeared on the camera screen.



The light was beautiful and the moment was there—but on a larger screen, the subject looked soft.