When it comes to composing wildlife images, consideration has to be given to the subjects tail, if there is one. I find this to be particularly true for those species that have long tails.

A female leopard drops to the ground. Canon 5Dmk3 and Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS II lens. Shutter speed 1/3200sec at f/4.0, Iso 800.

A young male leopard, very alert. Canon 1Dmk4, Canon EF 300f2.8 IS lens. Shutter speed 1/640s at f/5.6, Iso 500.
In this image of a male leopard I chose to include the entire tail. This forced me to frame wide and this has some impact on the resulting image. The strong shape that the tail makes tends to compete somewhat for my attention with the leopard’s intense stare. As a viewer, you may prefer viewing the leopard in this way, or you may have rather had an image where the tail was not visible. As a photographer, it is important to be aware of what impact the tail will have on the final image. This awareness can help when it comes to making choices in camera with choosing focal length and shooting angle. Had I taken this image from the left side of the cat, his body would have naturally blocked his tail from view.

A male cheetah stares into the distance with intent. Canon 5Dmk3, Canon EF 70-300L f/5.6 IS. Shutter speed 1/500sec at f/6.3, Iso 500.
The tail came into play once again in the cheetah image above. Before I took this shot, this cat had his tail stretched out behind him. Including it meant I had to pull back on my zoom lens, and that placed the cat’s body right in the centre of the frame, which felt awkward to me. The moment he pulled his tail toward him, and swished it around his leg, I snapped this frame. This pose, with tail against his body, allowed me to place the cheetah off to one side a little, and to zoom in for more impact. In such instances, when the subject may be changing size and shape rapidly, zoom lenses like the Canon EF 70-300L and Canon EF 70-200L f.2.8 IS II come into their own, allowing me the flexibility to change my composition rapidly.
I have chosen to use images of big cats to illustrate this post, however it could just as well have been mongooses, or squirrels, or any other animal that has a long tail. Tails can be expressive, and add much to an image. At other times, excluding them may be preferred.
I try to be aware of the tail and its effect in the moments that I am shooting, so that I can think through my shooting decisions.
Hi Grant, when I first saw he title I was amused, but it is often something that we don’t take into account in the heat of the moment, which always results in “oh shit” I cut off it’s tail … Mental not to self, check edges of view finder before pressing the shutter … Great post as usual
Regards
Etienne
Hi Etienne, you are so right about the heat of the moment…the pressure that comes from only having a limited amount of time to compose and focus really makes wildlife photography more challenging than it might seem. Checking edges of the viewfinder is definitely a good habit to cultivate…glad you liked the post and thanks for taking the time to comment!
cheers
Grant
Hey Garry. I’ve noticed how important a tail is, particularly on cats. It seems to big a big part of their personality, even with domestic cats, I find if I fail to get the tail there seems to be something missing. Your shot of the leopard coming down the tree is incredible – glad I got the chance to view it…
Hi Dave, you are right about tails and cats especially, and domestic cats are no different from their wild cousins. If you do get it right to capture the tail in a strong position, it definitely tells something of the cat’s mood, and that adds to any image ..thanks for writing
cheers
Grant
Great blog, I really enjoy your articles … and photos 🙂 Very interesting article, I have had tail dilemmas a few times – but now I noticed that I need to pay a bit more attention to tails, especially when they play such a prominent role such as cats and monkeys for example – it’s so much stronger composition when it is framed properly. This is definitely going into my “need to keep in mind for next time” notebook. Your information is so practical, thank you so much!
Hi Alison, thank for sharing your thoughts and experience on tails, I definitely agree that they are more important than we sometimes remember..always concentrating on eyes and ears without thinking about the tail can lead to disappointment later. Thanks for reading 🙂
Leopard coming down from the picture is a beauty. Tails/flowing hair(human)/bags/sticks(as in fighting sticks, think Zulu men) I always manage to cut off. I curse at myself afterwards as there is usually no retakes (fleeting moments and all).
Hi there Nquina, it is all too easy to cut off things that suddenly extend vertically, as you say. One application for a camera with lots of megapixels, and then shoot a little wider than one normally would. Works for me sometimes 🙂
Thanks for your feedback
cheers
Grant