Photography Monthly's tip week: Mastering wildlife photography, tip 5

Our final tip in our Mastering wildlife photography themed week is all about cropping.

So you’ve taken a photo and there’s a lot of background because perhaps you didn’t have a telephoto lens at the time. That’s not a problem. Though telephoto lenses are great, as mentioned in a previous tip this week, for getting intimate detail without being close there’s nothing wrong with photographing an animal and having a bit of background. Sometimes it helps set the animal in its environment.

Cropping the image to that the subject is the focal point can often result in a grainy, grainy image that lacks any sharpness and detail. This is because over-cropping will not adequately compensate for the loss of magnification or excessive distance between you and your subject.

These bite size tips will help you take better wildlife photography without breaking the bank for a telephoto lens. If you can afford or already have one then that’s great, but if the recession’s hitting you hard, here’s what to do:

1. Move in closer: As we mentioned in a previous tip this week, getting closer to your subject will enhance your shot's likelihood of getting the clear, detailed image you’re after. You must of course move carefully and ensure that it is appropriate to do so. As mentioned previously, moving slowly in a car is often a good trick as many animals, such as on safari, are accustomed to cars.

2. Environmental: As we mentioned, photographing wildlife in its natural surroundings helps gives the image a story and sense of place. It all adds to the atmosphere created in your shot.

3. Cover: As we mentioned yesterday a hide or cover is excellent for getting close and remaining unobserved.

If you do crop your photo, which is perfectly ok, just remember to take into consideration:

1. The maximum megapixels for which your camera is rated
2. The number of pixels in your photo
3. The amount and type of compression involved in the final digital image

Upload your wildlife photos to our gallery and it could feature as our photo of the week!

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