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Harsh midday highlights, blinding backlight, gloomy overcast, barely-there dawn… and full-on darkness. In this episode of The Wild Photographer, Court breaks down five common lighting scenarios that routinely present challenges for even experienced shooters—and gives you practical, field-tested fixes for each.

From when to lean into the shadows, to when to under-expose, to the advantages of black-and-white photography, you’ll get settings, positioning tips, and creative pivots you can use on your very next outing.

What you’ll learn

• How to tame harsh midday light with even lighting, B&W conversions, fast shutters, and deep depth of field (hello, f/22 starbursts).
• Smart ways to handle backlighting: underexpose to protect highlights, pivot your position to remove sky, or embrace high-key silhouettes.
• Low-light playbook for golden hour: fast glass vs. slower zooms, workable shutter rules with IBIS, intentional motion blur, and when to “shoot dark.”
• Why flat, cloudy light is secretly great—and how to add shape and depth with composition, shallow DOF, and selective post work.
• A simple, repeatable night wildlife recipe (spot metering + auto ISO + shallow aperture + slight underexposure) that actually works.

Chapter markers

• 00:00 – Welcome & Episode Setup: Five “tricky light” scenarios you’ll face in the field.
• 02:05 – Sponsors & Resources: Art Storefronts overview + Lensrentals promo; YouTube & blog pointers.
• 06:30 – Harsh Midday Light: Seek even light; when to go black & white; leverage F11–F22 and ultra-fast shutters; birds-in-flight at noon.
• 14:55 – Backlighting: Why highlights are hard to recover; underexpose a touch, use spot metering, minimize sky by changing your angle/elevation; creative high-key looks.
• 23:40 – Low Light / Golden Hour: Start at widest aperture; practical shutter targets with/without IBIS; widen out if needed; intentional motion blur & panning; purposefully underexpose for mood.
• 34:10 – Flat, Cloudy Light: Even light advantages; watch for edge-of-cloud transitions; add depth via background distance and shallow DOF; post tweaks (contrast, clarity, dehaze).
• 42:45 – Night Wildlife: The simple settings stack; why spot metering + underexposure isolates the subject and keeps the scene clean.
• 49:30 – Wrap-Up & Next Steps: Recap, podcast reviews, where to find Court’s portfolio and videos.

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:
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

AG1 - Daily (and Travel) Nutrition (use link for free travel packs and other goodies)

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Ever wonder what makes a professional wildlife portrait pop? In this fan-favorite episode, Court breaks down the secrets behind tack-sharp eyes, buttery-smooth backgrounds, and that magical “pro photo” look.

You’ll learn how aperture, telephoto compression, and background distance all work together to make your shots stand out.

From choosing your f-stop to post-processing blur and sharpening tricks, this episode is a masterclass in getting your wildlife portraits to wow.

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:
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

AG1 - Daily (and Travel) Nutrition (use link for free travel packs and other goodies)

Send us a text

In need of a creative jolt for your wildlife photography and get better, more captivating images (and memories)?

In this episode of The Wild Photographer, Court shares a dozen practical ways to make wildlife images truly captivating. We cover when to crank your drive mode for expressive behavior, how getting low and shooting at eye level transforms background separation, and the simple distance ratio that creates creamy blur even at f/8. You’ll learn to choose your background (not accept it), frame with natural elements, and zoom in on intriguing details for a story-driven series.

Court also demos creative exposure tools—spot metering for dramatic light, in-camera white balance shifts for mood—and several motion techniques, from slow-shutter pans to zoom/rotate effects. Finally, we break composition “rules” on purpose, using exaggerated negative space and dead-center symmetry when the scene calls for it. If you’re ready to move from documentation to impact, this one’s for you.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Introduction to Captivating Wildlife Photography
00:44 Thanks to Sponsors
04:20 Introduction
04:59 Understanding Drive Motor for Wildlife Photography
08:23 Get Low (and on eye level)
10:27 Utilizing Shallow Depth of Field
15:09 Zooming in on Animal Details
18:16 Framing your Shots
20:02 The Allure of Spot Metering
23:28 Matching (or playing with) White Balance
26:23 Intentional Motion Blur Techniques
28:35 Other Uses of Slow Shutter
31:03 Composition Techniques
34:08 Choosing the Your Background
37:28 Conclusion

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:
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

AG1 - Daily (and Travel) Nutrition (use link for free travel packs and other goodies)