5 Pro Tips for More Creative Bird & Wildlife Photos (VIDEO)
Most of the nature photography tutorials we post concentrate on gear, camera settings, and other technical aspects because these are absolutely essential when photographing birds and other wildlife subjects. Today’s video from Flying Parrot Photography is an interesting departure because it sets aside the technical stuff and concentrates on creative considerations instead.
Our instructor Sonia is an Australian pro who admits to being “obsessed” with photographing our feathered friends, and the tutorials she posts are designed to help you make the most of your time in the field by boosting your confidence is all situations. This six-minute episode presents “five techniques to add to your practice, flex your creative muscles, find new inspiration, and create unique, engaging photos.”
Sonia begins by encouraging you to take an abstract approach so that your imagery stands out from the crowd. One way to do this is by zooming in tight, “leaving out certain peripheral details and allowing viewers to fill them in with their imagination.” Concentrating on interesting textures, forms and colors will enable you quickly grab attention by surprising everyone who looks at your work.
Taking the opposite approach by incorporating the landscape in an image can also be quite effective. Here she demonstrates how “bringing the background into the foreground and thinking like an artist painting a scene” will create powerful photos when a bird is just part of the overall story. This method involves looking for eye-catching elements that complement your primary subject.
The concept of symmetry is another powerful tool for creating compelling compositions. Symmetry can often be found in water reflections on calm days or in scenes with two birds sitting or flying side-by-side. She notes that this is the perfect time to center your subjects and ignore the familiar rule of thirds. And sometimes a single bird in flight, facing the camera with wings spread wide, creates a very engaging symmetrical look.
Sonia also illustrates that monochrome images can really shake things up because most bird photographers strive for rich, vibrant colors. You’ll also learn how introducing a man-made element can be very effective—especially when photographing birds in the urban environment.
There’s a lot more to learn about capturing captivating images of birds on the Flying Parrot Photography YouTube channel.
And on a related note, be sure to watch a tutorial we featured with another expert bird photographer and image-editing expert who reveals several shooting and post-processing techniques that will guarantee that your high-ISO nature and wildlife photographs will never be noisy again.
