Almost universally, photographers make the same mistake in their wildlife photography.  The mistake is taking wildlife photos the same as one would take a portrait of a person.  The result of this error is what I call the “cheap studio effect.”  I call it that because of the dull and boring wallet-sized images every time I go to a department-store studio and get photographed on cheesy blue backgrounds. In wildlife photography, the cheap studio effect can be seen where a photographer takes a boring head shot of an animal without including any of the background.  While this type of shot may look fine on an advertisement for a zoo, it does not impact the viewer of the photograph.  For a wildlife photo to stand out from the crowd, it must reach out and grab the viewer by the eyeballs and demand attention to the drama in the photograph.  The following sub-topics will help you to advance your

Make the eye stand out
                                    One key to any successful wildlife photo is the animal’s eye.   Without exception, the eye must be in perfect focus.  The most compelling eyes usually have catch-lights in them.  Catch-lights are the bright spots of light that appear on shiny objects when illuminated. Some refer to the effect of catch-lights on an animal’s eye as spectacular highlights. So you agree that the eyes are important, but why do photographers go to such great lengths to get spectacular highlights in the animal’s eyes?  The answer is that photos are 2d and animals are 3d.  Photographers must do all they can to give objects depth and the feeling of shape, and the spectacular highlight does exactly that.  When viewing a flat object like a photo, our brains take in visual cues that may convey that the object is actually three dimensional.  Spectacular highlights provide a strong visual cue for the shape of an object and its location relative to light source. Spectacular highlights often appear naturally when the ambient light in a scene hits the eyes of an animal, but often the animal will be positioned with its back to the light source.  To achieve catch-lights in an animal not facing the light source (generally the sun), the answer is flash photography.  Flash photography will be discussed in a later chapter. Aside from this technical consideration, consider the position of the animal.  Many animal shots look great when the animal is looking away from the camera; however, capturing an image of an animal as both eyes stare squarely into the lens will undoubtedly grab the attention of the viewer. To apply this principle of the two-eyed stare down to increase the drama of a photo, shoot the animal for a while and get as many photos as you want.  When you feel like you’ve captured the animal in its natural habitat, make the animal aware of your presence.  Stand up from your hiding place, wave your arms, etc.  When a photographer does this, most species will not immediately sprint away.  Most animals respond to this sudden stimulus by quickly staring directly at the motion for a minute before running or flying away.  By doing this, you get the environmental portraits of the animal and then a second look at the animal in a more dramatic pose.  Use care when applying this technique to not disturb the animal nor put yourself in danger if approaching a dangerous animal.