Of all the activities I’ve tried, I think wildlife photography is one of the most difficult – and I’m even including my doctorate in pure mathematics on that list. That’s why I wanted to take some time at the end of the year and look back at my favorite shots and figure out what I liked and what I didn’t. It’s also a good time to think about ideas for the future so I can better express myself in photography next year.
One of the things I do to learn as a photographer is to choose a series of up to twenty images as my favorites for the entire year. This is a bit difficult task. By asking, “Why is this photo more attractive than others?” I have to really stop and think about the visual concepts I like in a photo – whether I’ve thought about them on a conscious level before or not. This exercise helps me understand the type of image I consider great and what I consider portfolio-level.
To show you what I mean, I’ll include three images that didn’t quite make the cut, and my thought process when deciding to leave them out of my annual favorites. Then, I’ll show you an image that I’ve included in my portfolio-level category. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, but it does mean that I think it’s one of the highest levels I was able to achieve in 2024.
Non-Portfolio Images
Before I show you the photos, I need to tell you a key aspect of my thought process. That is, I still like the images that didn’t make the final selection and would be happy to show them to others. They all have some concept that I like. But within the microcosm of each individual image, I felt I might want to try again later to better portray the same ideas.
So, without further ado, here’s the first picture:
Southern Lapwings support weed laws, so I like the idea of showcasing this habitat. Still, there are some ideas I would like to improve. For one thing, something about grass bothers me. There’s a strand coming up between the lapwing’s legs, as well as some brightly colored grass on the right, including some fairly out-of-focus grass that appears as blue polka. There is also some yellowing grass due to the time of year, and I know it is possible to get more attractive looking grass.
The bird’s right leg is also slightly raised, and I wonder if it might be possible to get that leg into a more distinct posture? Also, the lapwing’s legs are slightly out of focus. Could I have turned it from a slightly different angle? And finally, since lapwings are some of my favorite birds, I have a special desire to catch them as best I can and try different methods. For example, on this day the lighting was quite flat and cloudy, giving the scene a “Studio-like” look. Perhaps this is the right approach, but I think I would like to experiment a bit more before deciding which type of lighting is best suited for lapwings.
The next shot is of a striated heron:
I like the concept of the heron roaming around in a sandy, marshy environment. And I love that “broom” end of the plant on the bottom right. But although the heron is still very well defined, there are some elements I would really like to change. For example, if I were creating this image, I would leave out the fine strands of plant below the heron. Also, perhaps most importantly, I’m really not a fan of the solid thick branches running through the heron’s head. I’ve already darkened them a bit in post, but it’s not something you can really fix in post, only improve.
I guess the branches It is possible Contribute to the idea of a heron emerging through the brush, but even if one is going for this idea, there is still a prominent space between the branches leading through the heron’s head which I find distracting. Perhaps a lower camera position would have accomplished this better.
Overall, this looks like a prototype shot to me. It’s a good template and starts with a clear concept, but I would like to improve the execution. This will probably involve returning to the same spot, finding the best backdrop and waiting for the heron to step into it.
Finally, let’s understand this eared pigeon:
The eared pigeon is a common pigeon in South America, so I had plenty of opportunities to try it out and get a good shot of it. And I really liked some of the concepts here – the idea of photographing in the rain, with the triangular branch and soft light. That being said, I don’t think I’d include this in my final selection of portfolio shots.
First of all, I think the concept of rain is not so clear – some raindrops are not distinguishable, and this makes them seem more of a distraction than part of the environment. As far as composition goes, I like the pose of the pigeon looking up, but I think it may be too exaggerated. Perhaps if I had stood a little higher, the effect would not have been so prominent.
Also, while I like the general idea of getting a rich, dark green background, I think the color scheme overwhelms the dove a bit, especially since there are hints of light blue in the feathers. Finally, I’m wondering about some potential distractions on the branch. I like most of the lichens, but there are so many that I feel the detail overpowers the soft pattern of the dove. There are also some strange things on the lower bend of the branch that seem unexplainable to me.
a portfolio shot
One of the shots I decided to include in my portfolio is from Limpkin:
Not only is the Limpkin here in its natural environment, but the leaves also seem decently arranged and do not interfere with the Limpkin’s form. I also like the in-focus tree trunk on the right and how it provides some environmental context and a bit of a natural frame to the image.
Although there may be a thing or two that could still be improved, I think I’ve gotten pretty close to getting what I wanted when it comes to “Limpkin’s Resting in a Tree.” This was an example where I moved around the tree and tried many different positions, which gave me a chance to refine my composition. The result was that I captured my theme, or idea, here with Limpkin as well as I could have hoped. Unlike the previous three images, I don’t feel obliged to re-draw this one at the earliest opportunity.
Thoughts and Conclusion
I feel like I still have a lot to learn in wildlife photography. Looking back to 2024, I think if I had to give myself a progress report, I think I’m about 30% toward recognizing the patterns I like most in real time, and spotting them first. I am able to include it in his creations. The animal flies or runs away. In 2023, it was more than 20%. And in terms of post-processing, I think I’ve improved a lot, but there are still some mysteries I have yet to solve. I would say that now I have solved about 40% of those mysteries, whereas in 2023 it was closer to 30%.
I’m still in the process of looking at my images from this year, but I believe that taking time to sit and think about the strengths and weaknesses of each image really helps this improvement process. Thus, I encourage everyone to repeat this exercise. Look at your photos, think about what separates good shots from portfolio shots, and take time to really figure out how you can improve.
