Learning wildlife photography – Composition

Posted on 27. Dec, 2008 by Paul Burwell in Everything, Instructional, Techniques, Wildlife photography

Bohemian Waxwing on an old branch

Composition – Like all types of photography, the way a wildlife photograph is composed creates the drama and interest in a captivating image. The space around an animal and the angle you photograph an animal from are all important considerations.

The space around an animal in an image, what photographers call negative space, is similarly important. Many photographs benefit from having room for an animal to move or look into. We instinctively feel uncomfortable when an image tightly restrains an animal. Amputating an animal’s appendages or body at an awkward place should be avoided. Learn to use both vertical and horizontal compositions to best frame an animal’s particular body structure and stance in the image.

Yellow Jacket hanging out in an old wagon

Too often, once we finally get an animal into our viewfinder we’re too excited to think about composition and just fire away.  It isn’t until we’re looking at our images later on that we realize we basically made the same image over and over and over again.  It definitely takes some practice and experience to get to the point where you’re thinking about everything you need to do to make an image; focus, exposure, composition, etc.

Ultimately, it depends who you are making photographs for.  If you’ve got a boss or potential boss buying your images then you need to satisfy their compositional requirements.  In fact, that can be one of the things that’s a bit of a drag when you’re a pro.  You have to care more about what your client or potential clients wants and less about what you want.

And, if you’re shooting for yourself and you love an image that breaks the “rules” who cares what anyone else thinks?

Surprise! Female Black Bear and her cub walking on a trail

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Tags: composition, learn, learning, Photography, suggestions, Three Ps, tips tricks & techniques