Out of all of the pursuits I’ve tried, I believe wildlife images has acquired to be one of the vital troublesome – and I’m together with my doctorate in pure arithmetic on that checklist. That’s why I prefer to take a while on the finish of the 12 months and undergo my favourite photographs and determine what I favored and what I didn’t like. It’s additionally a great time to consider concepts for the longer term in order that I can higher specific myself in images subsequent 12 months.
One thing I do to continue learning as a photographer is to decide on a collection of as much as twenty pictures as my favorites for all the 12 months. It’s a considerably troublesome activity. By asking, “Why is that this photograph extra engaging than the opposite?” I’ve to essentially cease and take into consideration visible ideas that I like in a photograph – whether or not I had considered them on the aware degree earlier than or not. This train helps me to know the kind of picture that I contemplate simply excellent and one I contemplate portfolio-level.
To indicate you what I imply, I’ll embrace three pictures that didn’t fairly make the minimize, and my thought course of when deciding to exclude them from my yearly favorites. Then, I’ll present you one picture I included in my portfolio-level class. It doesn’t imply it’s good, but it surely does imply that I believe it’s among the many highest degree I used to be in a position to obtain in 2024.
Non-Portfolio Pictures
Earlier than I present you the pictures, I have to inform you one key side of my thought course of. Specifically, I nonetheless like the pictures that didn’t make it into the ultimate choice and can be pleased exhibiting them to others. All of them have some idea that I like. However inside the microcosm of every particular person picture, I felt that I might nonetheless prefer to strive once more later to higher illustrate the identical concepts.
So, with out additional ado, right here is the primary photograph:
Southern Lapwings favor grassy legal guidelines, so I like the thought of exhibiting this habitat. Nonetheless, there are some concepts I wish to enhance upon. For one, one thing bothers me concerning the grass. There may be one strand developing between the legs of the lapwing, together with some brightly-colored grass to the suitable, together with some pretty out-of-focus grass that renders as bluish bokeh. There may be additionally some yellowish grass as a result of time of 12 months, and I do know it’s potential to get extra engaging wanting grass.
The fowl’s proper foot can also be raised solely slightly, and I’m wondering if it is perhaps potential to get that foot in a extra distinct pose? Additionally, the legs of the lapwing are barely out of focus. Might I’ve modified that with barely completely different angle? And eventually, as lapwings are a few of my favourite birds, I’ve a specific need to seize it as finest as potential and take a look at completely different approaches. For instance, the lighting on at the present time was fairly flat and cloudy, which gave the scene a “studio-like” look. Possibly that’s the suitable strategy, however I believe I wish to experiment a bit extra earlier than deciding that this kind of mild is the perfect suited to lapwings.
The following shot is of a Striated Heron:
I just like the idea of the heron prowling by way of a reedy, marshy setting. And I like that “broom” finish of the plant on the backside proper. However though the heron remains to be fairly well-defined, there are some parts that I’d actually like to vary. For instance, if I had been drawing this picture, I’d omit the positive strands of plant beneath the heron. Additionally, maybe most significantly, I’m not likely a fan of the stable thick branches going by way of the pinnacle of the heron. I already darkened them a bit in submit, however this isn’t one thing you’ll be able to actually repair in submit, solely ameliorate.
I suppose the branches would possibly contribute to the thought of a heron rising by way of the comb, however even when one had been going for this concept, there’s nonetheless a distinguished area between the branches going by way of the pinnacle of the heron that I discover distracting. Maybe a decrease digicam place would have completed that higher.
General, this strikes me as a prototype shot. It’s a great blueprint and has the beginning of a transparent idea, however I wish to enhance on its execution. That will doubtless contain going again to the same location, discovering the perfect background, and ready for a heron to step into it.
Lastly, let’s perceive this Eared Dove:
The Eared Dove is a typical dove in South America, so I’ve had loads of alternatives to attempt to get a great shot of it. And I actually favored a few of the ideas right here – the thought of photographing within the rain, with a triangular department, and delicate mild. That being mentioned, I don’t suppose I’d embrace this in my last collection of portfolio photographs.
First, I believe the rain idea is just not so clear – not sufficient a number of of the raindrops are distinct, and that makes them look extra like distractions than a part of the setting. As for the composition, I just like the pose of the dove wanting up, however I believe it is perhaps too exaggerated. Maybe if I had been standing a bit increased, the impact wouldn’t be so distinguished.
Additionally, whereas I like the final thought of getting wealthy, darkish inexperienced backgrounds, I believe that the colour scheme overwhelms the dove a bit, particularly because the plumage has hints of pale blue. Lastly, I’m wondering about a few of the potential distractions on the department. I like many of the lichens, however there are such a lot of that I believe the element overpowers the gentle patterns within the dove. There are additionally some bizarre issues on the decrease curve of the department that strike me as vague.
A Portfolio Shot
One of many photographs I made a decision to incorporate in my portfolio is of a Limpkin:
Not solely is the Limpkin in its pure setting right here, the leaves appear decently well-arranged and never disruptive of the Limpkin’s type. I additionally just like the in-focus tree trunk on the suitable and the way it offers some environmental context, and a little bit of a pure body to the picture.
Though there could also be one or two issues that would nonetheless be improved, I believe I got here fairly near getting what I needed in relation to “Limpkin resting in a tree.” This was an instance of the place I walked across the tree and tried many various positions, which gave me an opportunity to refine my composition. The result’s that I captured my theme, or thought right here with the Limpkin about in addition to I might hope. In contrast to the three prior pictures, I don’t really feel compelled to re-capture this one on the soonest alternative.
Ideas and Conclusion
I really feel like I nonetheless have rather a lot to study in wildlife images. Going again over 2024, I believe if I needed to give myself a progress report, I believe I’m about 30% of the best way towards recognizing in real-time the patterns I like finest, and having the ability to embrace them in compositions earlier than the animal flies or runs away. In 2023, it was extra like 20%. And by way of post-processing, I really feel that I’ve improved fairly a bit, however there are nonetheless mysteries I’ve but to resolve. I’d say now I’m about 40% by way of fixing these mysteries, whereas in 2023 it was nearer to 30%.
I’m nonetheless within the means of going by way of my pictures from this 12 months, however I imagine taking the time to sit down down and actually occupied with the strengths and weaknesses of every picture actually helps this enchancment course of. Thus, I encourage everybody to repeat this train. Undergo your pictures, take into consideration what separates the great photographs from the portfolio photographs, and actually take time to determine how one can enhance.