As we, people, live in cities and become more and more disconnected from nature, it's easy to forget how majestic and gorgeous it is. We like to think that we're the most influential beings on the planet, yet we share it with so many other species we might never see face-to-face in our lifetime.
Luckily, some photographers capture wildlife at its most captivating: raw, vulnerable, and, of course, beautiful. Whether they're professionals or amateurs, they're welcome at the Wildlife Photography subreddit. And here we have for you the top posts from that community to marvel and "Aww" at!
#1 My First Snowy Owl Encounter
Image credits: FGoose
#2 Anyone Else Love It When A Natural Frame Presents Itself? One Of My Favorite Shots So Far
Image credits: Haammaar
#3 A Month’s Worth Of Images Stacked Together From My Camera Trap
Image credits: rossmc19
The Wildlife Photography subreddit is a community of 696k netizens interested in wild animal photography. They've got all kinds of animals (we're using the term here loosely, by the way) on there: mountain lions, deer, woodpeckers, eagles, and even beetles! One thing you won't find here is pics of people, that's for sure!
You don't have to be a professional if you want to share your photographs with the community. Folks on the subreddit often discuss their technique, what gear they use, and how they manage to get the beautiful shots. There is one strict rule, though: the photographs people post must be their own. The group is not just for appreciating beautiful pics of wildlife; it's a community of photographers, veterans and beginners alike.
#4 I Visited My Tawny Owl Friend Again
Image credits: DoubleheadOW
#5 Met A Guy On Nye That Works In Radio. Found Out A Few Days Later That I Was Roasted On Air For Being A “Bug Photographer”. Anyways, Here’s An Album Of Bugs And Spiders From Last Year!
Image credits: bens_small_world
#6 My 2024 Shots Wrapped
Image credits: Buttery-Creative
We got in touch with one of the enthusiast photographers from r/WildlifePhotography. He's Taylor Rogers, an amateur photographer for whom shooting animals in the wild is a dear hobby. He's interested in landscapes, macro and wildlife photography, and today, we're chatting with him about the latter.
Taylor tells us that he first got into photography because of all the National Geographic documentaries he used to watch as a kid. So, who said television never taught us anything, huh? When Taylor turned 14, he got his first job and earned some money. After saving up for a bit, he was able to get his first camera.
#7 The Most Depressed-Looking Bluejay I Think I've Ever Seen
Image credits: reddit.com
#8 Ground Squirrel Enjoying Life To The Fullest
Image credits: nootcr2
#9 Pretending To Be A Nat Geo Photographer, Most Fun I've Had With My Camera
Image credits: Crestmage
"I bought a used Nikon D3400 and a Tamron 18-300mm lens and took that on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park and absolutely fell in love with photography!" Taylor tells us via message on Reddit. He says that the r/WildlifePhotography subreddit is a nice place to share your photos because of how many people there are in the community. "To get that much reach on any other platform would take forever to build," he says.
#10 Cat Tales - Wild Baby Bobcat Visiting My Backyard Near Tucson
Image credits: -Bending-Unit-22
#11 Piping Plover Chick - New Jersey, USA
Image credits: greggard
#12 My White Whale - The Mountain Lion
Image credits: devin2378
"On r/WildlifePhotography, if you have taken a good photo and people like it, 100k people can see it! That's almost impossible to do on any other platform," Taylor explains. Indeed, although he shares his photographs on the subreddit regularly, one recent photo he took of a bison is currently the 10th most upvoted of all time! "Also, the community is very kind and supportive!" Taylor adds. "Which can be rare on Reddit."
#13 This Might Be One Of My Best Photos
Image credits: TurboTime77
#14 My Favourite Images Of 2024
Image credits: Markuz1989
#15 The Bobcat. Completely Wild, No Baiting Used. I Shot This Animal In New Hampshire Last Winter And It Is Still One Of My Favorite Wildlife Experiences To Date
Image credits: Martinz_photos
We asked Taylor to share what, in his opinion, are the essentials for photographers if they want to be truly good. "I think what a good photographer needs most is [to] want to actually go take pictures!" the Redditor says. "If you don't ever get out into nature, then you can never get a great picture! Also, the ability to accept constructive criticism and learn from each photo is important too," the photographer notes.
#16 Cedar Waxwing Tossing Food Before Capturing It. This Will Probably Be My Top Shot All Year
Image credits: Theotar
#17 One Of My Funniest And Most Fascinating Photos Of A Grey Heron!
Image credits: nikers93
#18 We Spotted This Polar Bear Whilst Sailing Around In Svalbard
Image credits: Extreme_Razzmatazz16
The world is truly the wildlife photographer's oyster, so, we wanted to know in what place in the world Taylor would want to shoot the most at the moment. "A dream location for me anywhere is any sort of African safari," he says. "The diversity of the wildlife and the landscapes is what is [the] most exciting for me."
But even before Taylor makes it to an African safari, be sure to give him some love for his captivating photography on his Instagram page. Also, check out his contributions to other photography subreddits, such as r/AmateurPhotography, r/itookapicture, and others on his Reddit account!
#19 The Winner Of Fat Pika Week Is This American Pika, Who Is Next-Level Chonky And Ready For The Cold Months Ahead!
Image credits: dddg
#20 Took This Picture Today Of A Fashionable Deer
Image credits: badicph
#21 This Bird I Saw In The Galapagos Seems Unusually Sad
Image credits: weeklywildlife
The magic of wildlife photography is not just to inspire awe in us. Wildlife photographers can help conservationists in their efforts to bring awareness to nearly extinct species. It may sound trivial, but when we see the impact that humans have on natural habitats or how mankind mistreats animals, we're more prone to taking action.
#22 An American Pika Busy Gathering Grasses For The Cold, Snowy Months Ahead
Image credits: dddg
#23 First Time Trying Wildlife Photography, Western Washington State
Image credits: CzechiaViolins
#24 My Favorite Bird Photos I Took This Year. Here's To An Even Better 2023!
Image credits: alkaliphiles
There are some risks when amateurs do it, unfortunately. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service warns that crowds of enthusiasts sometimes might be doing more harm than good. Folks might be "pressing into refuges, overrunning parks and preserves, trampling habitat, and threatening the very species they are photographing," according to the FWS.
#25 Just Bought A New Lens, And Already Am Getting Great Pictures Like This!
Image credits: DreamPix
#26 Bobcat In North Carolina Swamp. Created With A Camera Trap With A Off Camera Flash
Image credits: neiljernigan
#27 Got Up Early To Catch The Deer In The Mist
Image credits: PlaysWithPhotos
Professional wildlife photographer Canadian Kevin Pepper tells beginners to never do these four things if they want to be respectful of their subjects:
- Baiting or feeding,
- Destroying habitat,
- Crowding wildlife,
- And provoking animals for movement.
"The long and short of it is to just use common sense. If you think that you are putting wildlife, or its natural habitat in danger, stop what you’re doing and look for an alternative method to acquire the photo," he sums up.
#28 This Deer In The Fire Island National Seashore Got A Little Bit Close For Comfort
Image credits: skytheanimalman
#29 A Great Blue Heron That Has Had Enough Of My Camera Shutter Sound
Image credits: Effective-Bar-879
#30 Two Different Species, Same Stretch!
Image credits: Fethecat
Wildlife photography has many faces – more so here on Bored Panda. Throughout the years, we have covered different genres of wildlife photography. There are the "Oof" wildlife photos that are sometimes so bad they're actually good. Then, there are the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards that we cover every year. Or, if you're just looking for nature's pure magic, take a look at the 2024 winners of the World Nature Photography Awards, and keep an eye out for this year's winners!
#31 My First Ever Hooded Merganser
Image credits: drew85301
#32 My Best Otter Shot So Far
Image credits: DoctorFaber
#33 A Rare Photo Of A Stag Stepping On A LEGO, England [oc]
Image credits: Fethecat
#34 My Favorite Photos From My First 9 Months Of Doing Wildlife Photography
Image credits: Jolimi
#35 Had A Visit From This Guy, Does Anyone Know What It Is?
Image credits: The_Comfortable_Dark
#36 A Spirit Bear, One Of The Rarest Subspecies Of Bear In The World
Image credits: vkm2f
#37 How Did I Do? Are Any Of These Photos Good Enough To Submit To A Competition?
Image credits: Divinenab
#38 Finally Got A Good Photo Of The Albino Squirrel That Lives In My Neighborhood
Image credits: Aenan
#39 My Best Shots From 2024
Image credits: Spenseii
#40 The First Year Of Bird Photography
Image credits: goroskob
#41 Some Shots From My Time In South Africa
Image credits: KyleDucky
#42 Bracken Crown 👑
Image credits: Buttery-Creative
#43 Bought Myself A New Lens
Image credits: Animallover163
#44 This Deer Heard Me Clicking, Mt. Rainier National Park
Image credits: itk_jpeg
#45 Some Of My Best Shots This Year - 1st Year Of Wildlife Photography (Feedback Appreciated)
Image credits: Quick-Plankton-9124
#46 Took This Photo During The Covid Lockdown Days. I Had To Prep For 4 Days To Get This One Single Shot
Image credits: meet_natsu
#47 My First Owl Encounter After Years Of Searching
Image credits: benokleby
#48 First Ever Bobcat Encounter!!
Image credits: Sad-Audience-5572
#49 My First (And So Far Only Ever) Encounter With A Barn Owl
Image credits: FGoose
#50 A Few Of My Shots Over The Past 2 Years
Image credits: hi7en
#51 Took This In Alaska Eight Years Ago When I Was 16. I Love The Big Paws!
Image credits: jepppej
#52 Close-Up Of A Frog’s Eye
Image credits: bens_small_world
#53 A Fox Casually Strolled Past As I Was Taking Photos!
Image credits: kaceFile
#54 Closeup Of An Elephant’s Eye, India
Image credits: yobelprize
#55 Arctic Fox In Northern Canada
Image credits: robboelrobbo
#56 I’ve Been Hearing This Horned Owl For Years And Finally Found Him
Image credits: Thinlinephotography
#57 Amateur But Loves Animals
Image credits: Odd-Description-6765
#58 Coyote Realizing He Has Been Seen
Image credits: EvatLore
#59 One Of My All Time Favorite Bird Photos I've Taken
Image credits: cattooguy89
#60 Pine Marten Enjoys A Drink
Image credits: Harz_marz
#61 Alpine Ibex In Italy
Image credits: yobelprize
#62 Breath Of The Wild
Image credits: Buttery-Creative
#63 I’ve Spent 30 Hours The Past Two Weeks Waiting For This Badger. Tonight He Finally Showed Up
Image credits: DoubleheadOW
#64 A Capture Of A White Tail Buck From This Morning. NY State
Image credits: Timontwowheels
#65 American Mink Playing Peek A Boo
Image credits: Brucy_J
#66 Mother Tiger Taking A Sip Of Water While Her Cub Tries To Distract Her [oc]
Image credits: maggracers
#67 Blue Hour Barred Owl. Taken With A Canon R10 With A Rf 100-400 Lens. Ontario 🇨🇦
Image credits: Traditional_Gas_7789
#68 This Bald Eagle Gave Me One Frame Worth Of The Perfect Pose. (Syracuse, NY)
Image credits: dan-over-land
#69 Tit vs. Finch, St. Francis Watching
Image credits: reddit.com
#70 I Shot A Cheetah... With My Nikon. (Oc)
Image credits: hi7en
#71 Not My Best Photo But It Always Makes Me Giggle, I Asked Her To Pose For Me And She Stuck Her Tongue Out 🤣
Image credits: astroNOT-yet
#72 Bald Eagles Mating Pair. Which Photo Do You Like Most?
Image credits: Exponent_0
#73 Coyote Alerting Others Of My Presence
Image credits: Kuutan
#74 Finally Got A Photo Of A Whale Breaching. Lahina Hawaii Nikon D850 W/ A 300mm F4
Image credits: meebersss
#75 Red Fox Through A Bush
Image credits: VexMediaPhoto
#76 Male Kudu Drinking At A Kalahari Water Hole
Image credits: apk71
#77 Took This On My Vacation In Tanzania, Hope You Like It. Shot With Samsung Galaxy S21plus
Image credits: NewFaithlessness1417
#78 A Smooth Coated Otter In A Lotus Pond 🪷🦦
Image credits: grey_go_away_bird
#79 A Sly Red Fox In Snowy Tundra
Image credits: alexus404
#80 Wildlife Photography Done By Sister
Image credits: Kiieser
#81 One Of My Dream Bird, Finally In Front Of My Camera 💙
Image credits: JFCudennec
#82 Album Of Insects And Spiders I’ve Photographed In The Field
Image credits: bens_small_world
#83 Bought My Mom A Canon 7d For Christmas One Year. She’s Never Done Any Professional Photography Yet She Continues To Amaze Me
Image credits: Throwaway0man
#84 One Of The Best Pictures I Have
Image credits: Secure_Compote4
#85 My First Halfway Decent Hummingbird Shot! Virginia, USA
Image credits: dancole42
#86 You Guys Liked My Last Raccoon Pic. Another One Came Out At Sunrise And I Was Able To Get A Better Shot
Image credits: lilbuddadude
#87 Speechless, I Finally Got My Dream Shot Of A Bull Moose In New England
Image credits: ProfessionalFilm7675
#88 The Coolest And Rarest Encounter I've Had Yet - An American Badger!!
Image credits: taykaybo
#89 Lone Fallow In A Woodland
Image credits: Buttery-Creative
#90 Wood Duck In Washington
Image credits: Amberbraxtonphoto
#91 Northern Cardinal. Ontario 🇨🇦
Image credits: Traditional_Gas_7789
#92 Young Alligator Protecting His Wildflowers
Image credits: eknaturephotos
#93 A Majestic Bull Elk Resting On The Forest Floor At The End Of A Beautiful Day In Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Image credits: eTeT
#94 Pine Marten I Manged To Photograph Today. North Wales, UK
Image credits: clayton1313
#95 Harbour Seals Know How To Strike A Pose - Nikon D5 & 500mm Pf
Image credits: bengosu
#96 Common Bluet In The Morning Dew
Image credits: JFCudennec
#97 Might Be My Favorite Photo Yet
Image credits: Rob0t_Wizard
#98 Reflecting On My 2024 Wildlife Photography, Image Details In Comments:
Image credits: Annual_Elk929
#99 Successful Seed Hunting Requires Patience And Intense Focus. (Canon 80d - Tamron 100-400mm)
Image credits: Sinopahc
#100 Got In To Wildlife Photography Earlier This Year, Feedback Appreciated!
Image credits: itstillworks1
#101 The Rare Asiatic Wild Dogs
Image credits: BeatsForWild
#102 Blue Tits And Great Tit At My Birdfeeder
Image credits: TelephoneNice7658
#103 A Few Of My Shots Of The Past 2 Years
Image credits: hi7en
#104 Had My First Mink Encounter Yesterday
Image credits: FGoose
#105 Someone Had A Secret To Tell!
Image credits: tiffany_grace
#106 Buck Between The Corn At Sunrise
Image credits: TheMrNeffels
#107 I Tent Camped In The Snow 3 Nights For These Moose Photos
Image credits: Independent-Wish-293
#108 Quite A Photogenic Wolf
Image credits: Alone-Contest-5174
#109 Finally Got A Fox!
Image credits: Omelete_du_fromage
#110 Was Just Waking Up :)
Image credits: Fdudethatstough
#111 My Winter Goal Has Been To Photograph A Red Fox And It Finally Happened Yesterday!
Image credits: jmicyd94
#112 Finally Captured A Snowy Owl!
Image credits: Al-Bee-21
#113 An American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) Takes The Plunge Aiming For A Juicy Salmon
Image credits: DrexlSpivey420
#114 Portrait Of A Snowy Owl With Frost I Took
Image credits: Colton_Lockridge
#115 Ogre-Faced Netcaster. A Species I’ve Been Hoping To Find For A Year. 35 Images Handheld Focus Stacked Queensland, Australia
Image credits: JHDefinitiveImaging
#116 A 6hr Wait, For A Stare Down That Lasted All Of 3 Seconds! Denver, Colorado
Image credits: ScottBellow
#117 Spotted Owlet And Some Red Flowers
Image credits: 30march
#118 Black Bear In Blackberry Bushes
Image credits: eknaturephotos
#119 I Shot A Rhino... With My Nikon
Image credits: hi7en
#120 Nearly Extinct Red Wolf - Ne North Carolina
Image credits: EdWorks99
#121 "The Buck" Ontario, Canada
Image credits: randomphotoadventure
#122 Mountain Lion, Bridget Teton Forest In Wyoming
Image credits: NPhikerphotographer
#123 Male Leopard At Night In Sabi Sand. His Wound Is From A Fight With Another, Larger Male
Image credits: aphotographyaccount
#124 My First Time Photographing A Pine Marten. I Wouldn’t Want To Be On The Receiving End Of A Swipe From One Of Those Paws!
Image credits: sketchy_ppl
#125 I Know It’s Just A Simple Photo Of A Bumblebee (And Please Don’t Mind My Dry-Ass Cuticles, LOL) But This Guy Came To Hang Out With Me For A Few Minutes Before He Flew Away. He Was A Neat Little Friend
Image credits: marlenamarley87
