Mastering Bird Photography: The Art and Importance of Isolating Your Subject

^{Note: This tip comes from Audubon’s article - 10 Tips for Photographing Birds}

Identify your subject and isolate it

Birds are often found in the most cluttered settings: Branches or grasses intersect at various angles and distract from the central subject, or other birds distract the eye.

That said, elements of habitat and even the entire landscape are often part of the message and artistry of the image, and you want to include them to some degree. 

The trick is to decide what is absolutely necessary for the most beautiful or compelling image.

Use your f-stop, shooting angle, shutter speed, or proximity to the subject to eliminate all but the essential elements of your desired photo.

The most exciting bird photographs are the ones where the bird is prominent and detailed.

Want more? If you want to learn more about bird photography, and capture beautiful shots of your own, we recommend downloading and printing out Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheets (Special bonus available now!)