Know Your Subject

Hi, I'm Zac Mills with Outdoor Photography Guide and I'm here in the beautiful rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia to photograph the endemic animals of the rainforest. I'm hoping to see and gibbons, monkeys and most importantly, the wild orangutans that call this place their home. Understanding the behavior of your subject is critical for wildlife photography. So here in the forest, we've learned that the orangutans will build a nest every single day to sleep and spend the night. So when we're tracking along, we observe and look for where these nests are being built, such that in the following morning, I can be in a position to photograph them as they emerge from the nest to start their day. Orangutans are solitary animals. Unlike the other great apes, they'll spend the majority of their adult lives alone in the forest. The primary interaction will be between the mother and its infant. Orangutans typically have one baby who will then stay with its mother for an average seven years as it learns how to eat, sleep and survive in the forest. During this time, a strong, cohesive bond is formed. So as we're walking through the forest we're looking for these moments of interaction between the mother and its infant to convey a sense of emotion and to tell a broader story. So when you're planning your next photo adventure, make sure you do the research, consult with others and ask your guide so that you have a deeper understanding of your subject's behavior. This will help you to make more powerful photos that tell a compelling story.