The Eyes Have It

Eyes are very important in wildlife photography. Unless it is an action shot of some kind, it's vital to have at least one eye visible in the image. It's also important to have the eyes in sharp focus.

Also, the eye, or eyes, need to stand out. That can be difficult with some animals, particularly birds, where the eye is the same color as the head - or a band of color on the head. In these cases, a reflection in the eye can create a highlight which draws attention and differentiates the eye from the surrounding body.

Here is an example from shots I took yesterday of a Northern Cardinal male. Both are decently focused and exposed and demonstrate what a difference a highlight in the eye can make. Both were made with a Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4 IS USM at f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., ISO 100.

Also made yesterday was this shot of a Black-capped Chickadee - again, with a slight highlight in the eye.

Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4 IS USM at f/5.6, 1/640 sec., ISO 100