Filming nature and wildlife takes a lot of practice, patience and persistence. It takes a lot of effort and determination to get the shots that you want. One aspect of shooting nature and wildlife video that we should make sure we never overlook is having fun doing it. If you’re trying to make a living at it, it can be even more difficult to have fun if you’re worried about how you are going to pay your bills.
The thing is, once you stop having fun, it becomes an anchor in your life. You start having regrets about missing things because you have to go pout and film something. You don’t put in the time and research to find a subject or interesting place to film. It becomes easier to turn the alarm clock off at 4am and go back to bed instead of driving out to a location and hiking several miles to get to that perfect spot
I do a international film challenge several times a year and one of the rules that is always stressed is to have fun. If you’re not having fun then you’re not going to get the best footage and chances are pretty high that you won’t complete the challenge as well.
If you ever find yourself not having fun when you’re out filming, put down the camera and just experience nature. I’ve never been out in nature and not had my batteries recharged. Sometimes the most enjoyment I get when I’m out filming is just simply sitting in nature waiting for something to happen.
One of the challenges I’ve given myself it to try to film the entire alphabet made up of things I find in nature. I imagine some of the letters will be difficult to find but I know eventually I’ll complete this challenge.
Maybe you can challenge yourself to shoot everything at the maximum zoom on your camera or the widest angle you have.
At one of my word times, I put the camera down for several months. Didn’t go out in nature, just did nothing. But nature is an amazing thing. No matter how depressed or angry, nature has a way of finding its way into the cracks of your heart. I mean if nature can wear down entire mountain ranges, winding its way back into your heart and soul is an easy task compared to that!
Eventually I found myself wanting to get back out. At first it was without my camera, just walking in the woods and on the prairie. Eventually I started seeing plants and animals that I wish I had my camera to capture. I started carrying my camera again and filming. It wasn’t long before I rediscovered the joy of not only being out in nature but filming nature and wildlife as well.
There are a lot of rules and guidelines when it comes to film and photography. Make sure fun is the one that you follow no matter what!
And as always, shoot the ordinary and make it extraordinary!
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