Is it just us, or did we just blink and miss the summer?! As we roll into the last third of 2021, we're feeling energized and ready to get stuck into a new season and even new routines, especially for those heading back to work and school.
Even during a busy summer, or winter, thanks to everyone who submitted photos for August's “Landscapes” theme! Scroll down or jump to view this month's shortlist and vote for a winner.
Now it's time to introduce September's theme: "Animals".
It's no secret that this is one of my favourite themes! From fluffy kittens to soaring birds of prey, we're excited to see anything animal-related! Whether it makes our hearts melt or sends a chill down our spine, we think animals can be one of the most exciting and emotive things to capture!
Some of you will be lucky to have a furry friend who isn’t camera shy AND is obedient enough to pose for that perfect photo. But, we’ve all heard stories about the challenges of working with animals. Quite rightly, they have a mind of their own.
To help you master the magic of working with creatures big and small, we’ve revisited our top tips for capturing amazing animals shots:
1. Pet Portraits
Partner Up - Having a helping hand to reign in your pet can save you a lot of time and stress, letting you focus on the photography while they focus on the treats and commands.
Get down on their level - getting down to their eye level will really help create the feeling of a portrait, instead of a simple snapshot.
Go for eye contact - the best way to create a connection for a viewer is to get your lens to make eye contact with your pet.
Minimize distractions - Being calm and quiet can really help to create the perfect environment for getting that cute capture, and always remember to be patient!
2. Macro Magic
Find a fascinating subject - If you’re playing with a macro lens, working with insects in the garden is a great way to get into nature and wildlife photography.
Use depth of field to create drama - Playing with aperture settings can really make the details and beauty of bugs and insects pop in front of the lens!
On that note, play with point of focus - sometimes this can turn a detailed close up into a work of art. Play with different finishes of textures and colours and see what you end up with!
Take a look at some top quality macro shots in an old blog post.
3. Action Shots
If you’re spending a day at the zoo, playing fetch at the park, watching horses galloping or following birds across the sky, have fun with your shutter speeds! Typically the faster a shutter, the better it’ll capture action. But, you’ll typically need good lighting and quick reactions!
Check out our handy guide to shutter speeds in this blog post.
4. Wildlife Photography
Do your research - For most wildlife lovers a lot of money will be invested into a wildlife spotting trip, so make sure you’ve thought about what gear might be best for the environment, time of day you’re likely to see something, and what the surrounding environment might look like!
Be Patient - We all love the epic BBC nature documentaries but gasp every time we learn that 10 minutes of epic storytelling took months, if not years in the fields to film wildlife. You can’t control what and when you might see something, so learn how to be patient, but still be ready!
Stay safe - Even the most incredible shots are not worth risking your own, or an animal’s safety. Remember to keep a safe distance, watch where you’re putting your feet and keep an eye on what’s happening around you!
Aim for simple backgrounds - While you might not have much choice about this one, animals will really pop against a plain sky, ocean or grassy field. You could play with depth of field to also help focus a viewer’s attention on the critter itself.
We hope you have fun this month - we literally can’t wait to see what you capture!
How to enter this month’s theme
When uploading your photos use the tag section (on the edit/organise screen) and insert this week's theme tag: theme-animals.
Entry Guidelines: Photos must be your own and must have been taken and uploaded between Wednesday, September 1st and Thursday, August 30th. 6 finalists will be chosen in the first couple of days in October, then you'll get to vote for the winner!
p.s. Don't worry if you spot some tagged photos from a previous theme, when choosing our six finalists we'll use a special algorithm to only filter the images from September 2021.
Vote for a Winner of August's "Landscapes" Theme
As always, we loved reviewing all your Landscapes! It wasn't easy to choose only 6 finalists, but now it's over to you to vote for the winner of the “Landscapes” theme.
To cast your vote, simply reply to this blog post with the number (in digit form) of the photo you would like to see win, before September 14th. We’ll announce the winner in a separate post shortly after!
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But 6 is a closer second for me. These are all so beautifully composed and interesting!