Take your shots further for a new take on birds
be more creative
“Creativity is something that challenges every
photographer and something that is often
difficult to teach,” says Sean Weekly, whose
own wildlife images offer up an array of unique
approaches. “Before I head off to a subject,
I have a vision in my head of capturing
something different. Once I have arrived at
my specific location, I think about where to
position myself for the best light – whether
I want a backlit, side-lit or front-lit shot.”
Then comes the thought of composition.
You won’t always have time to ponder your
bird shots, but when you do, consider
what it is you want to include. Will it be an
environmental image with a wide-angle lens,
or a tight portrait with a telephoto? Resist
the temptation to fill the frame with your
subject at every opportunity. Animals in their
environment tell us something about where
they live and what they do within it, and
including the surrounding habitat creates
an interesting story for the viewer. A zoom
lens such as a 70-200mm will offer you
compositional freedom here. By using a spotmetering focus mode on the bird, they’ll
remain the most important element and
the focal point of a wider image. As with all
subjects, getting on eye-level with a bird, no
matter how big or small, will massively add
impact to your images and create a more
dramatic look.
Next, you shouldn’t overlook the most
important element of outdoor photography:
the sun. Shooting into the sun tends to add
plenty of atmosphere to an image, and a low
sun can be included in the frame behind your
subject to throw them into a silhouette. In
these situations you should watch out for lens
flare (and make sure your lenses are clean
from dust spots). Be sure to focus manually,
as the bright sun can throw off the camera’s
autofocus system.
Backlighting can add a greater sense of
depth and an air of mystery to shots. It’s wise
to spot-meter for a bird’s face, but experiment
with lighter and darker exposures to see how
they affect the mood. After all, creativity is
ultimately subjective. DPcoMpoSE
Your FrAME
It’s tempting to fill the
whole frame with a subject,
but Sean Weekly here left
negative space to create
pleasing resultsgo Mono
converting a bird
image to greyscale
focuses the viewer eye
on tonal detail, rather
than the colour of the
puffin’s plumageSET THE bIrD
poSITIon
generally, it’s
best to have a
bird looking into
the frame rather
than out of itTAKE conTroL
Don’t be afraid to
override the camera
meter for the ‘correct’
exposure. This image is
purposely dark and low
key to emphasise moodBelow
Beauty of bokeh
Shimmering circles of
confusion make for a
dreamy backdrop to this
lone puffin, thanks to a
wide aperture and long
focal lengthAbove
Try wider
If you’re lucky enough
to get close to subjects,
a wide angle can create
a different perspective
and include the habitat
for contextx4 © Sean WeeklyTechniques