Camera School
In the fourth part of our series on getting better bird photos, learn how to get the ‘wow’ factor with your images. By Paul Sterry of Nature Photographers
Composition, lighting and background explained
It can be hard to define what gives an image the ‘wow’ factor, but try to analyse what you find pleasing in your favourite pictures. Typically, ‘wow’ factor photos are composed beautifully, with the subject perfectly placed in the frame, perhaps showing some amazing behaviour. The background will be harmonious and appropriate, and the lighting spot on.
1 Composition
Composition is a very personal thing, and bird photography often involves unpredictable subjects requiring quick reactions. But if you have the luxury of time, think about composition before you take an image. Imagine you are painting a picture, perhaps. With painting in mind, there are various guidelines that artists apply to composition and these same principles also work with photography. The focal point (main subject) of the image should be its strongest element, with composition and subject placement drawing the viewer’s eye towards it. Using the unwritten ‘rule of thirds’, place the main subject/focal point at one of the intersections of imaginary lines that divide the frame into thirds. If the bird is looking ‘into’ the picture rather than ‘out’ of it, so much the better. Of equal importance to both artists and photographers is the significance of proportions: getting the right relationship between the size of the bird or birds in the frame and surrounding habitat is essential. For example, if the environment in which a bird lives is vast – the open ocean or the desert for example – then you will probably want to convey a sense of scale. Getting this right is the key: if the bird is too large in the frame it may lose environmental ‘context’; too small and it may get ‘lost’ altogether. Eye-contact with your subject adds a level of intimacy to any image, particularly with species that have forward-facing eyes. This can transform a commendable portrait into something with the ‘wow’ factor. If your subject bird is not looking directly at the camera, then your photograph will be enhanced if there is some relevance to where it is looking. Rather than appearing to be staring aimlessly into space, a focused stare is far more appealing in a portrait image.