When you are out and about exploring your favourite nature spot and come across an interesting bird or creature, what do you do? Whip out your camera or phone to get a shot of the wildlife?

The truth is that we should put a lot more consideration into animal photography than we currently do, for both their sake and ours. Invading an animal’s personal space while trying to get a close-up shot can, for instance, cause it to feel agitated, even prompting it to attack. Similarly, walking off a designated path while trying to get close to an animal may result in you getting lost. There is much more to animal photography than merely whipping out your smartphone for a quick shot.

That said, this does not mean you should give up trying to capture these beautiful critters! For all budding animal photographers, here are a few tips we have prepared to practice your craft while keeping the animals (and yourself) safe! For the top three things you need to know when taking photos of animals, check out the video below.

Text and video by Jessica Yeo and K. Jegatheessh.