A photographer's idea of what constitutes good wildlife viewing is totally different from that of a serious seer, such as a birder. Photographers need to get right up to their subjects for good pictures, while a birder will be ecstatic at identifying a new species even when it's at flyspeck distance. Getting close to wild animals is not always easy. Despite such a difficulty, wildlife photography is one of the most popular hobbies in North America.
More people take pictures of wildlife, flowers, and plants than hunt or fish.
Purple Gallinule standing amid water vegetation. Photo courtesy the Refuge Reporter . Florida has some of the most diverse photographic opportunities of anywhere in the country, from the coral reefs of the Keys to the cypress swamps of the Panhandle. Nowhere else do you have the opportunity to lens aggressive alligators, shy manatees , and beautifully plumed snowy egrets all in a single day. Wildlife photography also poses considerable challenges because you are dealing with creatures with a mind and will of their own.