ABOVE PHOTO BY AWARD-WINNING NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY RUSS BURDEN
My photography instructor Russ Burden has always been a stickler about keeping backgrounds clean and simple to really make the subject pop. One of his primary criticisms of some of my past photographs was to clean up a distracting background. So this week's "Instructor's Tip" came as no surprise.
To learn more about how Russ took the following photo in this post, join him on one of his photo tours. Visit Russ Burden Photography to get more information.
"Whether your pursuit of wildlife photography takes you to Africa to
capture the Big 5, Alaska to get shots of migrating caribou, or your
backyard for images of butterflies and insects, the thought of
capturing the perfect specimen motivates us to continue our pursuit.
But many photographers limit their quest to just this goal and
overlook an equally important facet of their image making - the
background. Regardless of how perfect the subject is, if the
background is busy or competes for attention with the animal, the
photograph will fall short.
Backgrounds in a photograph should not draw the viewer’s eye away
from the main subject. These distractions may include, but are not
limited to, bright spots that command attention, a dark area where a
part of the animal merges and becomes one with it, in focus elements
that draw the viewer’s eye, and areas of strong color that compete
for attention. Lessen these distractions:
FILL THE FRAME
SKYLINE IT
CREATE YOUR OWN
ZOOM THE LENS AND OPEN THE APERTURE"
- Russ
To take a class with Russ or a fellow Digital Photo Academy instructor in your area, check out the Digital Photo Academy. I took Russ' intermediate and advanced courses last year, and he continues to be a strong source of knowledge and encouragement as I progress in my photography.
Don't forget to check Take Great Pictures for Russ' most recent tips. On the home page, click on the "Photo Tips And Techniques" button in the left hand column. Additionally, check out his "Digital Tip of the Month" found by clicking on the Digital Photography button.
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