Who better to learn from than a National Geographic pro with over 25 years of experience? In this episode featuring Any Parkinson you’ll learn how he captures animal portraits with maximum impact.

Andy is a wildlife photography specialist whose superb images have appeared on magazine covers and won him more than 130 national and international awards. He’s also been selected as a Nikon Europe Ambassador. As you’ll see below, he’s also an excellent instructor.

Andy presents an array of eye-opening photographs to illustrate his straightforward techniques. As he says, “these images will hopefully capture your imagination, make you pause, take notice, and get you to engage with the types of photos that can end up on the covers of books and magazines.”

Andy says it’s all about mastering six key attributes of every successful animal portrait, and he promises that your images will rise to the next level by following this approach. So what are these key characteristics that make all the difference (you need at least one)? They include good light quality, direct eye contact, a unique perspective or camera angle, tight framing, and creative interpretation.

It’s also important to strive for images that reveal the character and personality of the subject. Andy puts it like this: “The more of these elements your images contain, the stronger and more dramatic they’re likely to be.” We’ll step aside, rather than provide a summary, and let the expert demonstrate how all this works.

Be sure to stick around until the end when Andy reveals “One of the most memorable animal encounter I’ve ever hand.” Hint: it involved a tiger. There’s much more to learn for photographers of all skill levels on Andy’s instructional YouTube channel. Just click on the “Watch on YouTube” link below to access today’s lesson.

We also recommend watching the tutorial we featured on a closely related subject in which a notable expert demonstrates her 15 favorite tips and techniques for shooting and editing spectacular photographs of our feathered friends in harsh, midday light.