Photographer Robert Capa is famous for saying “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” This is a lesson that a lot of growing photographers learn when exploring how to improve their compositions.

Depending upon the subject matter, it can be challenge to get very close; animals, birds and insects that you will encounter in everyday life can get nervous and take off if you try to get too close to them. You might get lucky and find one who is willing to oblige and pose for you if you are careful and don’t startle it. But in most cases, a telephoto lens and a lot of patience will be a photographer’s best friends when photographing wildlife.

Don’t be afraid to fill up the frame with your subject, as this is your chance to show an aspect of your subject that the viewer may not have seen or paid attention to before. This is especially beneficial when photographing a subject that is very plentiful in your area. If it’s a common bird, for example, people may have seen it around so often that they don’t really stop to notice its kind anymore. So always strive to capture a unique viewpoint, angle, or perspective that will allow viewers to gain a fresh appreciation for its beauty.

(The anhinga is a very common bird in my area and can be spotted pretty much everywhere. This one was drying its wings on a dock and was surprisingly very tame, so I was fortunate that it let me approach within a few feet of it. Using my telephoto lens, I was able to zoom in and capture many close ups of its beautiful features.)

You will obviously have more latitude when it comes to approaching and studying inanimate subjects outdoors. However, delicate objects, such as flowers, leaves and spider webs, are vulnerable to the effects of the breeze. So on a windy day, pay attention to your shutter speed so you don’t go home with blurry images.

Zoom lenses can be used produce a beautiful bokeh effect, which adds a dreamy, ephemeral quality in an image. It is created by using a close proximity to the subject and a shallow Depth of Field. The background will be thrown out of focus and the light behind the subject will take on the pleasant, shimmering effect of translucent floating orbs. When used thoughtfully, this effect is very popular for anything from nature to portrait photography.