This is the fifth in a series of notes really written for myself. The aim is to improve MY OWN photographic ability. You can join the journey if you want to.

With the advent of today’s high-tech cameras and lenses it is easier than ever before to get good bird photos. Auto-focus and image-stabilization let newbie photographers capture keenly focussed shots that were to die for a decade or so ago. This has made basic, good bird portraits ordinary. The challenge now is to create bird images that stand out from the crowd.

The first impression made by a photograph is determined by the composition and balance of that image. A well-balanced photograph pleases me nearly as much as a well-balanced meal. The science of image composition started ages ago when artists moved from cave walls to portable painting surfaces to draw on. Some very complicated formulae evolved over the centuries from Babylonian, Egyptian and ancient Greek masters in architecture and art applying their minds to depict the “perfect” composition. The point for the photographer is to experiment with positioning the subject in different areas of the frame to find the best composition for a particular scene by applying some picture composition rule(s). In addition, you have to carefully arrange your picture so that the other elements present complement the main subject.

Great articles going into some depth on the topic of composition can be read here, here and here.

The Rule of Thirds is quite simple and works well for bird photography. It infers that the human eye is naturally drawn to a point about two-thirds along and up or down a page. Rather than simply placing your subject in the centre of the frame, crop your photo so that the main subject is located around one of the intersection points.

We are birders foremost and therefore we KNOW our subject… the point being that some species require a specific angle, maybe for ID purposes. Like in cisticolas or pipits for example, the back pattern is most important. But you also want some inkling of what the front looks like, so a ¾ view from the back, slightly from above is best.

Find the feature that would reflect the personality of the best and make sure you get the angle that reflects that trait best. Often with a bird that is comfortable, you’ll have ample opportunity to set up a great composition. Apart from getting the bird positioned correctly and in sharp focus, you must consider the position and focus of surrounding objects, that will enhance or distract from the main subject. Big branches that draw a line across the back of the photo, or man-made objects in an otherwise natural backdrop (like traffic signs and cars) can soon spoil a great picture.

Rule of Thirds (RoT) used in composing this portrait of a Southern yellow-billed hornbill 

Southern red bishop female in typical habitat - picture composition done by using RoT 

As if catching the actions is not enough already, the RoT can help to enhance your capture even furter 

Close-up bird portraits certainly are dramatic, but a bird in its habitat can be equally compelling. So if you can’t get close to your subject, reflect the setting and mood by including surrounding features instead. When positioning the bird, take care to include the entire bird in the frame… (Watch the tail feathers!) The compositional possibilities are endless. By its very shape, a frame-filling bird defines the orientation—a heron standing tall is vertical, a swimming duck is horizontal. When the bird takes up a small part of the frame, though, there are no such restrictions. Close up, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron would best fit a vertical composition, but shown hunting for crabs in a mangrove swamp it works better as a horizontal. For bird-in-habitat shots avoid putting the bird in the middle of the frame—composing it off-center is much more dynamic.

Take the time to look around the viewfinder to find distracting factors. The few extra seconds of attention to details will make a difference in the quality of your pictures. I often look at the scene through my binoculars, you’ll be surprised what bothersome elements you find that way.

We do not consult the laws of gravity prior to going for a walk, or the rules of the road before starting the car… those are so ingrained in us that it is not necessary. But until the rules for image composition is as much part of us, we will have to remind ourselves of them until they are.