The Art of Photographing Fauna

Nikon D810, AFP Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E VR @ 175mm, 1/10sec, f/5.6, ISO 64, VR On (Prince Street, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, June 2023)

Nikon 1 J5, 1 Nikkor VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 168mm (453mm equiv.), 1/400 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800 (Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, Virginia, May 2016)

Nikon 1 J5, 1 Nikkor VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 141mm (381mm equiv.), 1/400 sec, f/5.3, ISO 200 (Mason Neck State Park, Virginia, October 2018)

Nikon 1 V1, 1 Nikkor VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm (810mm equiv.), 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (Smithsonian's National Zoo, Washington, D.C., November 2015)

Nikon Z50, Z TC-2.0x + Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S @ 400mm (600mm equiv.), 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, -1.0 EC, VR On (Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, November 2020)

I like it !

Thjis little guy was pretty busy judging by the pollen sacs! Shot with a Canon T3i and Tokina 100mm F2.8 macro lens. Taken around 2012 but still a fave!

@povster Nice capture!

Nikon 1 J5, 1 Nikkor VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm (810mm equiv.), 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160 (Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, Virginia, August 2020)

Nikon Z50, Z TC-2.0x + Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S @ 180mm (270mm equiv.), 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 (Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, December 2022)

Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 (Alexandria, Virginia, December 2022)

Even though my setup is not ready yet for photographing fauna (Nikon Z6_2, Nikkor Z 24-200 mm F4-6.3 VR) I could not wait to get my favorite future fauna lens (Nikkor Z 180-600 F/5.6-6.3 VR) and bug lens (Nikkor Z MC 105 mm f/2.8 VR S Macro) to shoot the following tryouts:

ISO 100, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/1250 s

composition of two seagulls flying around Island of Ré, France

ISO 100, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Solo seagull flying low, Island of Ré, France

ISO 450, 200 mm, f11, 1/200 s

Eristalis nemorum foraging black chokeberry (aronia melanocarpa) flowers, Drukpa Plouray, France

ISO 640, 300 mm, F6.3, 1/320 s

Bumblebee foraging rhododendron flowers, Saint-Éloy de Gy, France

ISO 110, 200 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni), Drukpa Plouray, France

ISO 2500, 200 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Male house sparrow, Drukpa Plouray, France

ISO 3200, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Speckled yellow (pseudopanthera macularia), Drukpa Plouray, France

ISO 2200, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Early bumblebee (bombus pratorum) foraging à Comfrey (symphytum officinale) flower, Drukpa Plouray, France

ISO 180, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Large red damselfly (pyrrhosoma nymphula)

ISO 160, 300 mm, f6.3, 1/500 s

Map (Araschnia levana)

Nice captures, @fdantzer56 !

@darin-marcus, thank you very much Darin. 

Nikon Z50, Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S @ 400mm (600mm equiv.), 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, VR On, cropped (Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia, June 2025)