Nature Photography Composition: What to Do Before You Press the Shutter

One of the biggest misconceptions in photography is that great images happen in an instant.

People often imagine photographers simply stumbling across an incredible scene, raising the camera, pressing the shutter and walking away with a portfolio-worthy photograph.

In reality, most of my favourite images didn’t happen that way at all. They were built.

Whether I’m photographing birds, bears, landscapes or macro subjects, there’s usually a lot happening before I ever press the shutter release.

I’m constantly evaluating the scene, thinking about the background, the light, my position, the subject’s behaviour and, perhaps most importantly, what I actually want the photograph to say.

That’s the difference between taking a picture and making a photograph.

Every Photograph Begins with an Idea

Sometimes an image starts with a subject. Other times it starts with the light. Occasionally it’s simply a feeling or a story I want to tell.

Whatever the starting point, I rarely begin by thinking about camera settings. Instead, I ask myself a much simpler question: “What am I trying to communicate?”

Once I know the answer, every other decision becomes easier.

Building the Composition

Good nature photography composition isn’t about following a rigid set of rules. It’s about making deliberate choices.

Before I take the photograph, I’m thinking about questions like:

What’s the strongest background?
Where is the best light?
Would the image work better from a lower perspective?
Is there anything distracting in the frame?
Should I move closer, or step back?
Does the composition simplify the scene or make it more confusing?

Often, moving just a few feet can completely transform an image.

Seeing Beyond the Subject

One mistake many photographers make is becoming so focused on the subject that they forget about everything surrounding it.

The background, the direction of the light, the foreground, the spacing around the subject and the overall balance of the frame all contribute to the final photograph.

The subject may catch someone’s attention. The composition is what keeps them looking.

four flamingos — Tanzania – “Four Flamingos Fluffing Feathers” – Lesser Flamingoes – DM – A group of flamingoes is of course called a flamboyance? Well of course it is! These four were part of a group of a few hundred on the lake this morning. Beautiful light with nearly dead calm winds provided for a great opportunity with these beautiful birds.
DM – Digitally Manipulated Image – I cloned out some very distracting air bubbles from the surface of the water.

Photography Is Problem Solving

One of the things I enjoy most about photography is that every situation presents a new puzzle.

The light isn’t quite right. The background is distracting. The animal is facing the wrong direction. The perspective isn’t working.

Rather than accepting the first opportunity, I try to solve those problems before pressing the shutter. Sometimes the solution is simply waiting another thirty seconds. Sometimes it means moving ten feet to the left. Occasionally it means deciding not to take the picture at all.

The best photographs are often the result of lots of small decisions made before the shutter is ever released.

owl portrait — “Out on the Front Porch” – Eastern Screech Owl – In the later afternoons on warm days screech owls will often sit in the openings to their nest cavities to warm themselves in the afternoon sun. I have witnessed this behavior many times at different nests. Without a doubt though this stunning Sycamore provided the most photogenic nest ever!

Watch the Full Presentation

This article only scratches the surface. In the full presentation, I walk through my complete thought process for building stronger nature photographs, from recognising an opportunity, to choosing the message I want the image to communicate, through to the step-by-step decisions that shape the final composition.

Using examples from my own photography, I explain how I evaluate light, backgrounds, perspective, subject placement and visual distractions, and how these elements work together to create more compelling images.

If you’d like to improve your nature photography composition and gain a better understanding of how experienced photographers think before they ever pick up the camera, I think you’ll enjoy the full talk. Watch the complete presentation below.

Good Luck and Good Light!

Steve & Nicole