Worth Another Look?

A good visual image is one that grabs you.

‘This little guy is always worth another look!” This is a phrase I have heard more than a few times during the last week or so as we were doing some serious birding in Madikwe.  The afore mentioned phrase got used on more than one occasion when discussing some of the obscenely colorful little birds such as the Green Winged Pytilia and Violet Eared Waxbill and, as always, this got me thinking.

When is it that a wildlife image is worth another look?  Is the black & white elephant above worth another look?  Does it grab you?

Nature and wildlife photography is unique in that you can never repeat a moment. You never get another shot at that one shot.  It is the ability of a photographer to see, experience and ultimately capture these special moments that will result in images that warrant another look.  I think that unfortunately too many people, when photographing wildlife, try to create images rather than photograph what they experience.  Whether the goal is to mimic someone else’s images or the result of being stuck in a rut, trying too hard to create certain wildlife images will more than likely leave you with images that lack impact.  It will just be another wildlife image taken by another person trying to call themselves a wildlife photographer.

Whether you are on an African safari or photographing Grizzly Bears in Canada you cannot decide what your subjects will do at any particular moment in time.  If this was the case we would al be able to get that once in a lifetime shot.  Patience, perseverance, technical knowledge, an understanding of animal behavior and luck.   These are but a few of the prerequisites for creating powerful wildlife images that deserve another look but at the end of the day you, as the photographer, need to loose yourself in the visual moment.  You need to see and feel the moment in order to create an image that will make other people see and appreciate what you are showing them.

On many occasions I have packed my gear and headed off into the bush to try and get some good wildlife images.  I have sat at waterholes and filled memory card after memory card without capturing a single moment.  Yeah, I ended up with a lot of ok-ish wildlife images that are great to help filling the portfolio but nothing special.  Nothing that I would expect anybody to look at and look at again.

Then you get the times when you are out in the field with clients or guests when you are tired and feeling about as uninspired as anybody could be while perfecting how to put your game face on.  Then suddenly you get lost in a moment that inspires you and gives you the chance to create an image that will evoke emotion and captures the true essence of nature.  The most important thing when you find yourself in a movement like this is to shoot for yourself.  You need to photograph what catches your eye.  What excites you.  What inspires you.  Only then will you end up with an image that is worth another look.

There really is no point in trying to shoot images that will impress other people.  Do not compare your work to other people.  Yeah, absolutely look at other people’s images for inspiration and ideas but then stop.  Take what you need from it and move on.  Shoot for yourself and allow your own vision and passion to shine through in your wildlife images and remember that there is no right or wrong.

Wildlife photography is a very wide and diverse field and the possibilities for creating eye catching images, images that deserve another look, are endless.  I personally love creating black & white wildlife images as it has the ability, when done correctly, to enhance the mood and emotive qualities of an image.  This is not to say that any old wildlife image will work in monochrome but if you have captured a special moment to start with it might work.  I shot the above image, of an elephant walking on a dam wall in Madikwe, a few days ago and the simplicity is what keeps me going back to it.  It is the clean composition and negative space that, for me, tells an African story.  The black and white version at the top of the post is the result of layering an old paper texture over the monochrome image to create an ageless feel.  The color image was how I experienced the scene and the processed monochrome image is the result of my feelings about the scene.  Two different images which evoke very different feelings but both a result of me shooting for me.  I shot a scene that I enjoyed.

Whatever your wildlife subject, forget about what other people are going to think of your work.  Forget about trying to shoot your subjects in a specific way.  Play around, try different things but always shoot for yourself.  By doing this you are way more likely to create wildlife images that will make people say “That is worth another look!”

See ya tomorrow!

Gerry