How to Take Professional Quality Photos of Dolphins in the Wild

     How To Take Professional Quality Photos of Dolphins in the Wild

   This article hopes to help you get the most out of your wild dolphin encounter. If you have ever tried to take photos of wild dolphins you know how hard it can be trying to time it just right as they leap out of the water. Or if you are headed to a place like Hawaii you may be lucky enough to see them in the water. After living on the water for the greater part of the last decade I have had countless opportunities to photograph dolphins, and I have found several tips and tricks to nailing the best shot.

Leaping Spotted Dolphins

   As with any wildlife photography, the more you research and learn about your animal subject, the better position you will be in to nail the best photograph. Different species of dolphins act differently so knowing what their behaviors are can be essential. What makes dolphin and whale photography so difficult is the fact that they only spend a fraction of their lives up at the surface. This gives the photography a brief chance to capture the moment. Being prepared for that brief moment should be your goal. I always say that you have to be well prepared in order to get lucky.

Bowriding Spinner Dolphins

   The easiest picture to get will be of bowriding dolphins. However, to make it stand out as a professional quality picture you will need to do several things. One is a fast shutter speed. If you have manual controls try bumping your shutter speed up to around 1/800th of a second or even 1/1000th. This can freeze not only the action of the dolphins but also the water droplets being cast off by the bow of the boat. Clear water and lots of light can greatly help with this kind of fast shutter speed. This pictures usually work quite well from a larger boat where you can look straight down at the bowriding dolphins. This can also be a great time for a video, or even a slow motion video, just don't drop your camera or iPhone overboard!

   Often when my guests are looking down at bowriding dolphins I am turned away from them looking back towards our wake. The dolphins there will sometimes leap out of the water which gives you a wonderful angle of them head on. In any kind of wildlife photography the picture to get is of the animal heading in your direction. It shows patience, skill, and also that you are not disturbing the animal. For leaping dolphins it is the ones just behind the boat that give you this opportunity.

Metal Wall Dolphin Prints

  Now the difficulty here is shutter lag. If you have ever pressed the shutter at exactly the right time but missed the picture because the camera didn't take the picture for another half a second then you understand how frustrating shutter lag can be for a wildlife photographer. The trick with this is locking your autofocus by pointing your camera at the dolphins, pressing the shutter halfway down, then, holding it until right when the dolphin leaps out of the water, finishing pushing the shutter down at the right moment. If you have burst on you may even get a few pictures of the dolphin out of water.

  Finally for your masterpiece, the underwater photograph of dolphins. I've found the best way to encounter wild dolphins and have the flexibility to swim with them is to snorkel and free dive. There are certain species like spinner dolphins that come in close to shore for long periods and don't seem to be too bothered by human presence. In Hawaii places like Kailua Bay or Captain Cook are good places to look for dolphin encounters. On Maui you can try Honolua Bay or La Peruse Bay early in the mornings. And then on Oahu's west coast Electric Beach is the place to look and you can sign up for a dolphin swim for around $120 here..

   A good underwater camera is essential for shooting dolphins at depth, however even a point and shoot can get good footage near the surface where there is ample light. So waiting for the dolphins to surface around you will generally get you the best pic. Anytime you are in the water with a wild animals staying calm will help the animal feel at ease. This can be seen in really good photographs, again with the animal coming head on. Once you get all of these finer details you are ready for the ultimate...adding a human touch.

Check out some of my favorite dolphin encounters and pictures for sale a www.daimarsphotos.com.