Tip 2: When on a hike, walk slowly and then slow down some more. If you are in a hurry the chances are you will be seen before you see, and then you won't see at all.

Tip 3: Start early and finish late. Just after dawn is a great time to take photographs. The light is warm in color, and low in angle, giving lots of detail. There is more wildlife visible and there are few, if any, people around. The air is cool and the atmosphere is often clear and still. Just before sunset is also good, although there may be more people around, and the air might not be quite as cool or calm. The Blue Heron photo was taken half an hour after sunrise. The low angle light enabled good detail to be recorded in the feathers. This bird was not yet fully active, and I was able to creep within a few feet of my subject, take a bunch of shots, and then retreat without disturbing its peace.

Getting the answer right is the key to making the best of the opportunity. If I think the subject is nervous, the best strategy is often either to stand motionless for a while or to slowly back off a couple of steps, and then wait, hoping that confidence will be restored. Waiting often works. On one lucky hike I spotted a leaf drifting to the ground. However there was something not quite right about this leaf. On getting close I discovered the leaf was a large Chinese Praying Mantis, which promptly flew to a nearby bush. I knew the mantis was there, behind those leaves. The mantis knew I was there, watching. It was a waiting game, and I was playing against a pro. I waited. The mantis waited, but I waited longer. After about 20 minutes the mantis peaked out from behind the leaves. Slowly, very slowly, I got the macro shot I was after.

Tip 5: Keep it clean. The simplest compositions are often the most effective ones. I try to eliminate anything that distracts the viewer from the subject. In the caterpillar picture the narrow depth of field obtained by using a large aperture has blurred the background, removing extraneous detail that would otherwise have taken attention away from the subject. A narrow depth of field is easy to obtain when using a macro lens, but the trick is to pay attention to the background and try to choose a viewpoint that yields a pleasant backdrop.

Tip 6: Capture the action. Photographs of critters doing nothing are OK. Photos of critters doing something are better, particularly if the something illustrates the nature of the beast, for example a Lion yawning. Sometimes the action is fast, and you get just a couple of seconds to get the shot. After all, wildlife is WILD ... be prepared for anything!