The Wild Photographer

SummaryIn this episode, Court Whelan discusses the essentials of wildlife photography, particularly focusing on the best lenses for wildlife safaris. He emphasizes the importance of adequate reach, low light sensitivity, and flexibility in lens choice. The conversation also covers the necessary accessories for wildlife photography, including tripods and camera bags, and concludes with recommendations for both lenses and gear to enhance the wildlife photography experience.TakeawaysWildlife photography is a pinnacle experience for photographers.Choosing the right lens is crucial for capturing wildlife.Low light sensitivity is a challenging but key consideration for wildlife photography.Flexibility in lens choice provide more photo opportunities and simplify your gear.Travel-friendly gear is essential for wildlife safaris.The 100-400mm or 200-600mm lens class is recommended for most photographers.Consider renting high-end prime lenses for specific trips.Accessories like dry bags, excellent camera bags and tripods are vital for protection.Third-party lenses may not match the quality of brand lenses, but do have oodles of options.A "nifty 50" lens can be a super fun and helpful lens for low light situations.Court's Websites Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View Court's personal and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design. BayPhoto.com - 25% your first order (code: TWP25) LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version

Court sits down with Jeff Pfaller to go deep on photographing the night: Milky Way fundamentals, foreground strategy (and why your cell phone flashlight is secretly a lighting tool), photo stacking workflows, fireflies (including the Smokies synchronous phenomenon), eclipse photography and logistics, editing philosophy, and gear that matters most when it’s 10:30pm and your fingers are questioning your life choices.Key Topics Include:The importance of planning a night photo shoot during the dayDouble exposures for night photography to capture the landscapeFirefly photographyThe mindset needed for photographing and publishing a photo bookA step by step playbook for Eclipse photographySome amazing advice for assembling the perfect camera kit for youYou can find Jeff (including his fabulous book) at:Book - https://jeffpfaller.com/products/dark-skies-photography-bookInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/pfallerjFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/jeffpfallerYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/pfallerjCourt's Websites Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View Court's personal and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design. BayPhoto.com - 25% your first order (code: TWP25) LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version

In this episode, Court lays out a practical foundation of photography “rules” — not as rigid constraints, but as dependable starting points. These principles show up again and again because they work: they help you handle light, composition, focus, and technical settings with more confidence. Once you understand them, you can follow them when they serve the image, and break them deliberately when the scene calls for something different. The goal is simple: more intentionality, and better photographs in the field.The 14 Fundamental Rules of PhotographyFocus on the eyes.Use the rule of thirds.Follow the inverse focal length rule for handholding.Prioritize side lighting.Shoot during golden hour.Compose with odd numbers of subjects.Keep horizons straight.Include foreground, mid-ground, and background.Expose for the highlights.Leave space in the direction your subject is looking (eye-line rule).Avoid lines cutting through faces/heads (face-and-line rule).Use the 500 rule for astrophotography.Create subject/background separation.Simplify the frameCourt's Websites Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View Court's personal and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design. BayPhoto.com - 25% your first order (code: TWP25) LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version

ISO is one of those photography tools that feels like a superpower… right up until it bites you. In this solo deep dive, Court unpacks why ISO is both a “magical unicorn” and a ruthless double-edged sword: it can rescue your shot in low light, but it can also quietly inject noise and crush editability.You’ll learn what ISO actually does (and what it doesn’t), how to think about it in terms of light and "stops" and how to use it strategically in the field—especially in the real-world low-light scenarios we all love to shoot. Court also shares his go-to ISO workflow, how to set guardrails so your camera doesn’t go rogue, and why modern de-noise software changes the risk/reward equation—but doesn’t eliminate it.If ISO has ever felt confusing, intimidating, or like the setting you touch only when you’re desperate… this episode is your new playbook. Expect to Learn:What ISO is (in plain English)ISO as part of the Exposure TriangleStops and ISO math (the simple rule)The tradeoff: noise + reduced editabilityManual ISO vs Auto ISOAvoiding Auto ISO “oops”A field-friendly hack: slight underexposureDe-noise software: powerful but not magicTwo mechanical ways to keep ISO lowerUsing these links to purchase gear helps support the show can keeps me making more content. Thank you in advance!Camera: https://amzn.to/43MJbPQTravel tripod: https://amzn.to/44vGAKnTravel hard drive: https://amzn.to/3KcUFpgCF card of choice: https://amzn.to/4a7mAkYSD card of choice: https://amzn.to/4pxENgbMy favorite battery case: https://amzn.to/4ijn2PeMagnetic filter set (polarizer, NDs, UV): https://amzn.to/49VtUAjGo-to Wildlife Lens (zoom telephoto): https://amzn.to/3JWeLnIWide angle (landscapes, travel, culture): https://amzn.to/4ptkmAUUltra-wide angle (night, northern lights, milky way): https://amzn.to/43MLTVyTravel camera backpack: https://amzn.to/47YvgJ1Small video camera: https://amzn.to/4riVw8zCamera sensor cleaning kit: hCourt's Websites Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View Court's personal and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design. BayPhoto.com - 25% your first order (code: TWP25) LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version

Will Patino is a landscape photographer extraordinaire and excellent photography teacher. In this conversation, the New Zealand–based landscape photographer shares oh-so-many valuable tips for nature photography. During our time together, he breaks down his Four Pillars of Landscape Photography (location, composition, light, and processing) into a field-ready mindset, how he uses balance for composition vs. solely following compositional rules, how he reliably shoots handheld at 1/8s without a tripod, and the simple local-dodge/burn workflow he uses to keep post-processing effective and artistic. We also get into topics like flow state when photographing, why he only edits on small screens, intentional motion blur, and the his sage advice to budding photographers.Lots of excellent pieces of advice in this fun conversation!Will Patino on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WilliamPatinoPhotographyWill Patino on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williampatino_photography/ Workshops & Gallery:  https://williampatino.com/ || William Patino PhotographySponsors & PromosArtStorefronts.com — Mention The Wild Photographer for a free website build (approx. $2,000 value). See an example layout at shop.courtwhelan.com.Court's Websites Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips View Court's personal and recommended camera gear Sponsors and Promo Codes: ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design. BayPhoto.com - 25% your first order (code: TWP25) LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version