In an age of 100-megapixel smartphone cameras and auto-tune editing software, taking a picture of an animal is easy. Taking an image that stops the heart, stirs the soul, and hangs on a gallery wall as nature art is an entirely different pursuit.

An elephant walking across the white salt flats of Amboseli becomes a minimalist print. A solitary owl perched on a dead branch against a foggy, muted forest background evokes loneliness and melancholy. Allow your backgrounds to breathe. Negative space invites the viewer into the story rather than assaulting them with detail. Close-up details often look more "arty" than full-body portraits. Focus on the curve of a heron’s neck, the repetition of spots on a jaguar’s flank, or the fractal pattern of a snake’s scale.

Paint it. Are you ready to turn your wildlife encounters into fine art? Follow us for more tutorials on composition, ethical practices, and post-processing.

says: Do not add or remove major elements. Do not clone out a branch. Art says: Express the feeling of the moment, even if it requires dodging, burning, or color grading.