Taking photographs of animals is great fun.  We love to watch them.  They are often very photogenic.  Working close to animals warrants caution; they can be dangerous and at times we can be dangerous to them.  On a recent trip to Hawaii my wife and I encountered numerous sea turtles.  We we told not to touch them because the mere touch by humans deposits oil on them that causes them problems.  So please be careful; for your safety and theirs.

          Since we love animals we often think of them as the sole subject.  We get so focused on them that we can forget to think of animals as part of the landscape.  On a past blog which displayed elephants I wrote that we should shoot intimate shots but also different shots where we show these animals in their habitat, how they live, and what they do.  Shoot shots like this:

          Do be afraid to use a large F.Stop to blur the background.  In this way you isolate the animal and the shallow depth of field forces the viewer's eyes right where you want them; in the case of animals, on their eyes.  Remember to focus on the eye; they have to be sharp.  Shots like these are cozy, intimate and warm. Remember that we do not want to walk away with just one shot (of 50 shot the same way).  We want numerous different shots.  Remember to think of animals as part of the landscape.  Try something like this:

          This landscape by itself is rather boring and blah.  There is not much color or interest.  Placing the animal in the landscape makes the animal the point of interest.  Remember your compositional rules; there has to be more space in front of the animal than behind it - it has to have room to move into.

          Go out and shoot more.