Check Your Backgrounds

Finding a wildlife subject is one thing.  The background you have behind it is a whole different story.

All too often we get so stuck on finding a subject that we forget all about what’s behind it.

I have had many times out in the field when we sat watching a sky, a reflection in the water or just a beautiful African landscape.  The only thing missing?  A great subject.

The background, and foreground, you choose for your subjects will have a huge impact on your final images.  The color, texture and sharpness of the background will all impact the visual strength of your images.

Check out the following two examples.

This image shows the large male in a very green setting.  Summertime in the African bush can be very lush which will make for very ‘fresh’ looking backgrounds in your images.

Same lion.  Six months later.  Less than a kilometer from the above setting.

Little more dull yeah?

For now let’s look past the fact that the first image has more eye contact, a better angle and much better composition all over and focus on the rest of the frame.

In the first image the green gives a feeling of nature and freshness.  Kind of a summer color if you will. A happy color.  The dusty brown in the second image gives a distinctly autumn feeling.  Not really a happy color.  Imagine the top image with the background of the bottom image?  Just not the same.

So which one is right?

Neither!

There is no right or wrong.

The choice is yours.

This post is purely designed to show you the difference the color of your background can make.  And we are not even looking at how the sharpness of the background or distracting elements can influence your images.  Next time you are out looking through the viewfinder take a second to scan the areas around your subject.

Check your backgrounds!  It will make a difference.

See ya tomorrow.

Gerry