The Secret to Freezing Wildlife Action: Aperture Priority Explained

One of the most common questions I get when I share high-speed wildlife action images is: “Did you shoot this in shutter priority mode?”

It’s a good question — after all, we always talk about using faster shutter speeds to freeze motion. So naturally, shutter priority (Tv/S mode) might seem like the ideal choice. But in reality, it’s not the best tool for fast-paced action.

Let me explain why Aperture Priority (Av or A mode) is actually a better choice for action in wildlife photography.

Shutter Priority: The Problem You Don’t See Coming

In shutter priority mode, you choose your shutter speed — say, 1/2000 to freeze a tiger leaping — and your camera adjusts the aperture based on the light. Sounds great, right?

But here’s the catch:

• If there’s too much light, your camera closes the aperture to reduce exposure — reducing background blur.
• If there’s not enough light, and your lens can’t open up further, your photo ends up underexposed.
• Either way, you lose control over your depth of field, which can ruin the aesthetic of your image.

As wildlife photographers, we live for clean, blurred-out backgrounds — so this trade-off just doesn’t work.

Aperture Priority: Control Where It Counts

In Aperture Priority mode, you control:

• Aperture (for depth of field and creamy bokeh)
• ISO (manually or using Auto ISO)

Your camera calculates the shutter speed based on the light. And here’s the best part:

Let’s say you’re photographing a tiger preparing to charge. You point your camera, half-press the shutter, and it shows 1/500 sec — too slow. You simply increase ISO, and the shutter speed jumps to 1/2000. You’re ready to shoot — and you never had to compromise on your aperture or background.

Final Thoughts

When photographing fast action, shutter speed is critical, but depth of field is just as important. Aperture Priority gives you both the speed and the aesthetics — with far more control than Shutter Priority.

Next time you’re chasing that high-speed rain play or a sprinting leopard, try Aperture Priority. You’ll thank yourself later.