All Members Are Invited to Participate
and may submit THREE images.
Use the tag 11/24_Wild
We were so fortunate to have award winning wildlife photographer Kristi Odom as our October speaker.
She is a committed conservationist who works to promote wildlife awareness
with her engaging images.
One of the truly rewarding aspects of wildlife photography is the experience of
observing the animal or bird in its environment. It is fascinating to witness
their habits and interactions. Capturing these types of moments engage a viewer
and allows one to connect with the subject.
Compelling wildlife photography should take the viewer into the world of the subject
and allow them to become more in tune with the natural world.
Consider the work of some of successful wildlife photographers.
Study their images and think about what you find most engaging in the images they create.
Then take that inspiration into the field to level up the images you create.
Clearly, we do not all have access to many of the creatures our favorite wildlife photographers shoot.
But we can apply some of their techniques to images of our local birds,
wildlife native to our area and make intriguing images.
Some ideas include:
Filling the frame with part of the animal to focus on texture, feather pattern or
other characteristic unique to that species
Include the creature in it’s environment in a way that creates a story
Reveal behavioral characteristics. This requires patience and some knowledge
of the animal’s behavior to capture the decisive moment.
Take an opportunity to freeze action or blur creatively to depict action.
The eyes are the window to the creature’s soul.
Make sure the eyes are sharp and have catch light.
As in all photography, lighting plays an important role in the success of the image.
You may need to wait for the animal to move into a properly lit position
or change your point of view.
Watch your highlights and shadows to make sure the light compliments the subject.
Or, experiment with high key or low key exposure to create drama.
Also, watch out for distractions in your frame that
might divert the viewers attention from your subject and story.