{"id":587650,"date":"2026-07-15T22:22:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/587650\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T22:22:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:22:18","slug":"how-photographer-kristi-odom-connects-to-wildlife-through-her-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/587650\/","title":{"rendered":"How Photographer Kristi Odom Connects to Wildlife Through Her Camera"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

Photographer Kristi Odom<\/a> recently joined the PetaPixel Podcast to talk all things wildlife photography, including what photographers and others can learn about nature. What photographers learn from nature can undoubtedly make them better, more creative photographers. <\/p>\n

Connecting to Nature Through a Camera <\/p>\n

\u201cI love using my camera to connect deeply with nature,\u201d Odom tells PetaPixel. \u201cWhether I\u2019m discovering patterns in the macro world or trying to understand how a snake slithers, I\u2019m constantly learning. When I ask myself, \u2018What am I feeling?\u2019 the answer is often movement.\u201d <\/p>\n

For Odom, she shows this movement in different ways in photos and, more recently, in filmmaking. On the photo side, Odom says that every technical choice she makes with her camera settings is inherently artistic. <\/p>\n

\"APhotographer Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

\u201cAperture determines what elements are in focus to tell your story. Shutter speed decides whether you freeze a moment or emphasize movement. ISO influences the texture of the image,\u201d the Nikon Ambassador explains. <\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

In optimal conditions, everything is possible. Photographers could freeze action, use a fast aperture, and keep their ISO low. That would be conducive to a traditional wildlife photo. Those action sequences are frozen in time and almost impossibly detailed and sharp. <\/p>\n

\n

Aperture determines what elements are in focus to tell your story. Shutter speed decides whether you freeze a moment or emphasize movement. ISO influences the texture of the image.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Creatively Subpar Conditions Into Incredible Photographs <\/p>\n

But the real world is rarely optimal, and Odom is not one to pack up her gear when conditions aren\u2019t perfect. <\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you just don\u2019t have the light to get certain shots. Maybe the action happens early, or you have a lens that doesn\u2019t let in too much light,\u201d Odom says. \u201cInstead of just not shooting, this is an opportunity to do something different and creative.\u201d <\/p>\n

Odom offers many great examples of this in her latest YouTube video on capturing more creative photos of the osprey, a classic favorite among bird photographers. Ospreys are a captivating animal, frequently diving feet-first into the water and emerging, water spraying everywhere, with a fish in their talons. They\u2019re an incredible animal. <\/p>\n

You\u2019d think that osprey should always be photographed with a fast shutter speed to freeze that action they are best known for, but Odom shows that there is so much more that photographers can do and, in so doing, separate themselves from the pack. <\/p>\n

\u201cI spent over 20 days this year photographing the Osprey dive. I saw many photographers not taking a photo while they dove right around them.\u00a0They would make comments about how the light wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0My camera would be the only one clicking away,\u201d Odom recalls. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

When some fellow photographers grew especially curious, they\u2019d ask Odom about her settings and come away more confused than ever \u2014 1\/60s exposures and unusually low ISO settings for the lighting conditions. <\/p>\n

\u201cI got some funny looks and the questions stopped. It was the look of, \u2018She definitely doesn\u2019t know what\u2019s doing,’\u201d Odom says. <\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

Absurd assumptions about one of the world\u2019s most accomplished wildlife photographers, no doubt, but it speaks to how deeply ingrained certain ideas of what a wildlife photograph is among some photographers. These are the concepts Odom hopes to challenge. <\/p>\n

\u201cMost of these photos totally failed,\u201d Odom admits. \u201cBut I got a few that I loved that showed the crazy feel and movement of these raptors at their high-speed dive.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>Kristi Odom Limitations As Fuel <\/p>\n

Arguably, creative, distinctive approaches to wildlife photography can tell an animal\u2019s story even more powerfully. The movement of wildlife is such a huge part of the story, and ultra-fast shutter speeds are not always the best choice for capturing that movement. Shutter speed is an important tool for photographers, including wildlife photographers, and it is often overlooked. <\/p>\n

For Odom, there is also a practical consideration. While she is armed today with the best Nikon Z cameras and Nikkor Z mirrorless lenses, she says she got her start in wildlife photography with a 70-200mm telephoto zoom she used for wedding photography. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it was about time, patience, learning my subjects, and photographing them over and over again,\u201d Odom says. <\/p>\n

This lens, while very capable, is not a traditional wildlife lens. It is much shorter. Odom had to adapt, and that meant capturing less traditional wildlife photos. The environment played a bigger role in the frame. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything you put in the frame is part of the story of the image,\u201d Odom says. \u201cIt is easy to get stuck looking at the main subject, but paying attention to how everything comes together will make you a stronger photographer.\u00a0I\u2019m constantly thinking about the background.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

These days, even though she has the long lenses that help make it easier to frame her subjects and control the background, Odom certainly hasn\u2019t lost her commitment to patience in the field. <\/p>\n

She often lies on the ground to get a better angle, and she spends considerable time studying animal behavior to give herself the best chance of success. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the pika\u2019s path as it carries flowers back to its den, and how can I position myself so that it doesn\u2019t get lost in the rocks? How is the wind blowing, and how will that affect the direction an osprey takes off after a dive?\u201d <\/p>\n

These are the things Odom thinks about all the time in the field. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe more I understand, the more I can get into the right spot where the story comes together inside the frame.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

The more I understand, the more I can get into the right spot where the story comes together in the frame.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Three Questions Wildlife Photographers Should Ask Themselves <\/p>\n

\u201cI am constantly asking myself three questions when I take a picture,\u201d Odom explains. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I see?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I feel?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can I eliminate?\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

Odom says the first question helps her think harder about the subject and the story of the scene. <\/p>\n

The second question is where her artistic voice comes in. <\/p>\n

\u201cDo I feel chaos and movement? If so, then maybe I find a way to incorporate that into the scene, possibly by slowing down my shutter to show movement, or a larger depth of field to show my subject and its environment.\u201d <\/p>\n

The final question is perhaps the most important of all. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything you put into that frame can take away from the main subject,\u201d Odom says. This means that everything that remains should contribute to the overall effectiveness of the shot. Deciding how to overcome any potential distractions requires experience, patience, and creativity. <\/p>\n

Black and White Wildlife Photography <\/p>\n

Sometimes Odom takes something else out of the frame in her wildlife photography: color. She is giving up what she describes as an \u201cincredibly powerful\u201d element. <\/p>\n

\u201cI developed my love for black and white when I ran the darkroom at Georgia Tech. I studied the masters, learned to dodge and burn, and started photography with Tri-X film in a camera I inherited from my grandfather,\u201d Odom says. \u201cBlack and white taught me to see light, shadow, texture, and mood, and I don\u2019t think that has ever left me.<\/p>\n

\u201cColor is incredibly powerful. It has an amazing ability to create emotion. Just look at how brands use color or how cinematographers build entire moods around a color palette. But sometimes color isn\u2019t helping the story I\u2019m trying to tell. Sometimes it\u2019s distracting from it.\u201d <\/p>\n

When that happens, and Odom believes color isn\u2019t contributing positively to a shot, she\u2019ll remove it.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

\u201cBy removing color, the viewer pays more attention to the expression, the gesture, the quality of the light, and the relationship between highlights and shadows. It simplifies the image and lets those elements carry the emotion.\u201d <\/p>\n

Without color, only the foundation of the photographic medium itself remains, Odom says. <\/p>\n

Always a View Toward Conservation <\/p>\n

While Odom is probably best known for her still photography work, she has increasingly used video as part of her broader storytelling ambitions. <\/p>\n

At first, Odom used video just for social media, sharing neat little moments in nature with her followers. Things like slow-motion videos of bees and action sequences of animals diving into water are fun to see, of course. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnexpectedly, those short videos led to people asking me to create videos professionally,\u201d Odom says. \u201cThat grew into producing conservation shorts for nonprofits.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

Her background in public speaking also became involved, and today Odom regularly creates films that are shown at fundraising events for the conservation groups she works closely with. <\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, those films and presentations have helped raise more than a million dollars to protect wildlife and wild places,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s probably what I\u2019m most proud of in my career.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cVideo is such a different way to tell a story, and I love that. It still amazes me that with today\u2019s cameras, it\u2019s often just the flip of a switch, and suddenly you\u2019re on a completely different creative journey,\u201d Odom adds. <\/p>\n

Odom is not only contributing directly to conservation work herself, but inspiring many others to follow in her footsteps. <\/p>\n

\u201cPassion is contagious, and photography gives us an incredible way to share what we love. A camera can communicate awe. It can show wonder, curiosity, and appreciation,\u201d Odom says. <\/p>\n

\u201cI had a woman in one of my workshops share a polar bear photo she had taken with her grandchild. Not only did that child suddenly think their grandma was the coolest person ever, but they connected over how incredible polar bears are,\u201d Odom remembers. <\/p>\n

\u201cA simple moment of excitement and curiosity, especially for a child, can spark a lifelong love of nature. That passion might inspire someone to care more, to become a scientist, an artist, a conservationist, or simply someone who makes choices that help protect our planet. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if nothing else, it created a meaningful connection between a grandmother and her grandchild through wildlife.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Close-up,<\/a>Kristi Odom <\/p>\n

Odom is adamant that you don\u2019t have to be a professional photographer to make a huge difference. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to care enough to celebrate this amazing planet and its wildlife and share that passion with others,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe world needs passionate people. It needs storytellers. We have this incredible tool that can help people fall in love with our planet, and when people care about something, they\u2019re much more likely to protect it,\u201d Odom says. \u201cThat\u2019s why education and mentorship mean so much to me. I want to help people create stronger wildlife photographs and films, but even more than that, I want to help them slow down, become curious, and build a deeper connection with nature.\u201d <\/p>\n

Building that connection with nature is one of the most satisfying and compelling parts of wildlife photography. While no question, nailing the shot and getting an awesome frame is an incredible rush, sometimes the process, enjoying nature, is the best part. <\/p>\n

\n

Passion is contagious, and photography gives us an incredible way to share what we love.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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