Andrew Cunningham-Moorat

Home Inspector & Photographer

Exploring Nature: A Guide To Wildlife Photography

If you’re an amateur photographer, then exploring nature with your camera is an exciting and fulfilling way to spend your time. Wildlife photography can be particularly rewarding, but it can also be challenging. 

bear cub standing on a log

Andrew Cunningham-Moorat is a professional home inspector who is passionate about wildlife photography. He combines his keen eye for detail with a passion for nature and photography to capture stunning wildlife photos.

To help you get the best shots possible, I’ve put together this guide to wildlife photography.

  1. Be Patient: Wildlife photography requires patience. Animals don’t always cooperate, and you may have to wait for hours to get the perfect shot. But remember, the wait is worth it!
  2. Know Your Camera: Before you start taking pictures, make sure you understand your camera’s settings. You don’t want to miss the perfect shot because you were fiddling with your camera.
  3. Use a Telephoto Lens: A telephoto lens will allow you to zoom in on your subject without getting too close. This is particularly important when photographing wildlife as it allows you to capture the animal’s behavior without disturbing them.
  4. Pay Attention to Lighting: Lighting is crucial in photography, and wildlife photography is no exception. Try to shoot during the “golden hour” – the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. This is when the light is soft and warm, making your subjects look their best.
  5. Be Respectful: Remember, you’re a guest in the animals’ home. Be respectful of their space and don’t disturb them. Use a zoom lens to get close, but not too close.
  6. Take Lots of Shots: Don’t be afraid to take lots of shots. With digital photography, you can always delete the bad ones later.
  7. Experiment: Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with your photography. Try different angles, compositions, and settings. You never know when you might capture that perfect shot.

In conclusion, wildlife photography can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. With a little patience, knowledge of your camera, and some basic techniques, you can capture amazing photos of nature’s wonders. So get out there and start exploring!

4 Tips For Landscape Photography

4 tips for landscape photography andrew cunningham moorat

Plenty of people are out there taking pictures of the world around them on their phones. These pictures might be good, but there are a lot of tips and tricks you can use to take your pictures to the next level and really make them stand out among the crowd.

By trade, Andrew Cunningham-Moorat is a home inspector, but his creative passion is nature, underwater, and street photography. Today he shares 4 tips to take amazing landscape photographs.

  1. If you are using your phone, put it on the HDR setting if that is available. HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range”, and this will allow you to capture more details in the highlights and shadows than you otherwise would.
  2. Plan out your location. Some of the best landscape photographs are taken from a perspective that not many people get to see. Go places where people don’t normally go!
  3. Find the right conditions and time of day. Early morning and late afternoon are often great times to take pictures because the lighting is ideal. You’ll also want to pay attention to the weather and time of year to see how it affects the lighting conditions.
  4. Tripods are essential for landscape photography. Sometimes you need to use a really slow shutter speed, and holding the camera in your hands will make your pictures blurry.

7 Composition Tips For Wildlife Photography

andrew cunningham-moorat 7 composition tips for wildlife photography

Composition is a tricky thing to nail down as a beginner photographer – especially when it comes to wildlife photography! This type of photography involves a lot of patience and a good eye in order to catch the right moment that makes for a stunning photograph. 

Andrew Cunningham-Moorat is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for photography. Today he shares some of his tips for wildlife photography composition.

  • Get familiar with your camera settings. If you want to be professional, only use manual mode, and be ready for when something happens!
  • Get eye level with animals. This may mean getting down on the ground to photograph smaller creatures.
  • Any time you can photograph an animal doing something it isn’t usually doing, it will make a great photograph. Be prepared to wait for a long time.
  • Don’t neglect the background. As much as you focus on the animal while photographing, you want to make sure the viewer will also focus on the animal in the photography. This means making sure the background isn’t too distracting. 
  • Make sure you get the whole animal in frame to their body parts aren’t weirdly cropped off.
  • Use the rule of thirds. This is great for any type of photography composition.
  • Try to get direct eye contact with the subject.

Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

Do you want to take beatific photographs of nature but are unsure of how to begin? Capturing that perfect shot can be a challenge, but there are lots of things you can easily do to get started and develop your skills. Andrew Cunningham-Moorat is a professional home inspector and amateur photographer with a passion for nature photography. He shares his top tips for beginners.

  • You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get started. If all you have is the phone on your camera, use that! Take this skill as far as you can with the equipment you currently have before you decide you want to level up. Many smartphones even have manual camera settings so you can adjust it as you like. You may want to get a basic tripod to begin with in order to take steady pictures.
  • Dress for the weather, and dress in layers. Wear a good pair of hiking boots. You’re going to be outside for a long time, so you’ll want to be comfortable and prepared for any weather situation. 
  • Start in your local area. You don’t have to go very far in order to capture some incredible wildlife! Even if you live in a more urban environment, there is bound to be some animals around. Taking photographs in your own environment is also a great way to share your unique perspective on the world. 
  • Understand animal behavior. Say, for example, that you want to take pictures of foxes. Knowing their behavioural patterns will help you know when you are most likely to see them! This will also help you stay safe, as some animals can be aggressive. The more you know, the better.
  • Most importantly, have patience. You could spend a whole day trying to get the perfect shot, but it might not happen at all. Take everything as a learning experience.