ANIMAL ATTRACTION

What makes a cracking character study in a world that’s already super-saturated with beautiful animal imagery? How do you spot the potential for a winning wildlife portrait in the first place? And how do you dial up the drama or add that extra bit of wow when you’re out there with a great subject in front of your lens that you want to big up even further?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for every occasion, of course, but there are lots of simple tweaks and techniques that together can work a treat to give your next character captures that added sparkle of magic. Start by selecting the very best candidates for your wildlife portraiture just as you would with people – particularly stunning or eye-catching characters will get you off to a good start – and always aim to get on eye level with the subject.

1 SELECT YOUR SHOOTING APPROACH TO SUIT YOUR SUBJECT

Small things count when it comes to wildlife portraits. It really doesn’t take much to turn a “meh” shot into a majestic one. It’s all about paying attention to the finer details. Thankfully you don’t need any fancy camera equipment to do this. The solution is in your own hands – or rather your eyes and head. Think a bit more before you next shoot portraits about