inspirational nature photos
(Gallery of Nature Photography)

WRITTEN BY:  BRUCE LOVELACE

UPDATED: February 4, 2024

Use my  inspirational nature photos gallery to spur your creativity and elevate your mood. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or a casual nature photographer, I've posted these nature images and their messages for you to enjoy.

Mount Desert Island in the FAll.Coastal Maine in the Fall is magnificent.
I love this place so much I go every year.

There's something magical about this place. The rocks, the ocean, and the mountains all come together in a unique way, unlike any other place on earth.


If you want evidence that the world is a terrible place, watch the news and surf the web. But if you want to remember how incredible this planet is, go out into nature. Unlike social media and the news, nature has no incentive to keep us agitated, angry, and anxious. - Dr. Austin Perlmutter

Wild Goose IslandWild Goose Island - Glacier National Park. Photo by Kenton Krueger
Kenton was our guide when we hiked down into the Grand Canyon.

Often it's about being in an amazing location and being there under unique lighting and weather conditions. This photo of Wild Goose Island above was taken with a cell phone camera.


Snow Pitman Golf CourseAfter the snowstorm.
Pitman Golf Course


Take your time to examine each photo. Imagine that you were there when the photo was taken and that you were the photographer. 

Christmas cactusChristmas Cactus in February

Always fascinated by the colors that nature produces, even in the cold weather of winter here in the northeast USA, I love the subtle color changes within each individual petal that this Christmas cactus gives us.


Black and white photo of snow

Snow storms are great to stimulate your photography juices and motivate you to go out in the cold to photograph nature. I often seek out minimalistic scenes after a snowstorm.


Bird of paradise flowerBird of Paradise

One great way to get inspired for nature photography is to visit a conservatory. Most have terrific opportunities year round to capture some great images. This photo was taken in the dead of winter in the Northeast.

Sometimes just showing up is the secret to get some interesting photographs of nature. I ventured out into a heavy duty snowstorm to shoot some landscapes and these playful deer were having a blast in the middle of a soccer field at a local park.

Deer playing in snowstorm"Frolicking Deer"

Rather than make an approach toward them, I walked parallel to their position and got to a higher vantage point where the wind was behind me. The biggest challenge for this photography was keep the massive snowflakes away from the front of my lens.


Yellow OrchidIncredible Complexity. Incredible Beauty

This page has been created to inspire you with the natural world. Seek out gardens, nature centers and conservatories to recharge your creativity and your passion for photography.


HD photo of moonOnly 238,855 Miles Away

There is something magical about a full moon. it's good for the soul to spend some time out in nature and watch the moon as it rises.


Acadia Maine coast sunrise I fail when I try to inspire with words alone.
Images like this energize me.

Our amazing planet provides so many opportunities to make photos that uplift and stimulate an emotional response.  I've posted some inspirational pictures without words as well as some images with inspirational words. 

Early morning macro flowerEarly Morning Inspiration

My in laws live two houses away from me and they have several flower gardens to enjoy. The delicate and sophisticated display of nature's splendor is one I look forward to each summer.


Mooney Falls, Grand Canyon, AZFrom a recent trip to Mooney Falls, Grand Canyon, AZ. June 2016

Although my own career has largely been centered around portrait photography, I love to inspire people through my nature photography.

Please feel free to add a little inspirational music of your own, sit back and become inspired, or share these photos with someone you love. Please add your thoughts below too.


Look at the beauty in a photo of a rose for inspriationDid you know that roses
have been around for 35 million years?

Roses have been a great subject of inspirational nature photos almost as long as color photography has been around. Natures uplifting images are everywhere around you. Take the time to "smell the roses," and take the time to share one of these images with a friend.


Sometimes it's just about being prepared and having a camera with you, even if it's your smart phone.

Sunset photo by AmberSpectacular Sunset photographed with phone camera

The photo above was cropped to follow the rule of thirds, and in this case, it works perfectly as a tool for getting a great composition and an inspirational photograph to enjoy.


Inpsire others with your nature photosI am Inspired by Ricketts Glen State Park

Have you ever been to Ricketts Glen State Park?  You get the opportunity to photograph more than a dozen waterfalls. The hiking is moderately challenging, but can be slippery with wet rocks and leaves.  Visit and you'll be inspired.


Inspirational photo of Nevada Falls Yosemite-Magic of Nature all around usNevada Fall - Yosemite National Park

Photography in general can be very inspiring for many reasons, from both the standpoint of the photographer who created the image as well as the perspective of the viewer.  One of the obvious ways is to be able to experience the amazing natural world around us.

Whether we are re-visiting a place we have been to or pre-viewing a place we'd like to see, nature photography can be enjoyed by all.

Inspirational photo of John Muir Woods - beautiful thoughtsJohn Muir Woods

The photograph above is from a visit to John Muir Woods, across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the road a piece from San Francisco.  The Redwood trees are so tall and so straight, you can't help but get the feel they are reaching up to the heavens.

Inspirational photo of Yosemite Falls- The pace of nature-Ralph Waldo EmersonYosemite Valley and Falls

It's often a great photographic opportunity when you find the natural elements of vegetation, rocks, sky, and water come together in a majestic way.  Visiting places like this often become a surreal experience for me personally because it is often hard for me to fathom how such a place could come to be.


Inspirational nature photo of rocks and light quote by George EastmanMorning Light - Mount Desert Island - Maine

The photo above was taken at sunrise on one of the southern "beaches" of Mount Desert Island.  It was a happy/sad photo because it was the last photo I took before leaving the island.

Nature photography during the "sweet light" hours surrounding sunrise and sunset is often the most productive time of day to get some interesting nature photos.

more inspirational nature photos

Field of Flowers - near Fortescue, NJField of Flowers - near Fortescue, NJ

I was on the way to a beach shoot and saw this amazing field of flowers.  I often have an impulse to "keep on driving" rather than follow the hunch that there might be a photo lurking nearby.

The light was sweet.  The colors were pure.  The vision for a photo came forth.


Rocks and Ocean - Schooner HeadRocks and Ocean - Schooner Head

Sometimes it can be a depressing experience to be in front of such magnificence and to be all alone.  Photography becomes the best way to share with the rest of the world.


Foggy Alaskan Mountains"Foggy Peaks" Denali, Alaska

I saw a funny advertisement on a website that was posted back in 2012. It was for a Canon DSLR, but it was really funny and I copied the idea (not the words or the photo it used) and came up with my own version below.

Funny Inspiration Photo InfographicWhen I see a majestic landscape I think about f/stops and shutter speeds

Perhaps it's not inspirational, but maybe you'll get a kick out of it like I did if you're a camera nut like me.

The black and white photo below came from a recent hike in Catcotin Mountain Park, near Frederick, Maryland, and not too far from where the President of the United States likes to relax at Camp David.

Black and White Nature PhotoConverted to black and white from color using Nik Color Efex Pro 4 software.

It was  a foggy morning. It was blissfully quiet. Not even the chirp of a bird or the scurry of a squirrel could be heard.

Wildlife photography, macro photography, landscape photography and underwater photography can all produce such great inspirational nature photos.  Many of these are nature photos with quotes. This gives more reason why nature photos are inspirational.


Jordon Pond, Acadia, Maine
Acadia In The Fall
"that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness--that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.” ― Jane Austen, Persuasion

INSPIRATION from wildlife in nature 

What a magnificent animal, the American Bald Eagle. I photographed this guy at a zoo. The key was to find just the right angle that place a tree behind his head rather than the netting that showed he was in a captured environment.

Immature Bald eagleAmerican Bald Eagle

Although it was a dimly lit situation, I liked how the quality and direction of the light brought out the detail in his feathers. I head to use a slow shutter speed to get a decent exposure, but the image was sharp because I was able to lean my camera against a nearby post.


Northern Lights, IcelandNorthern Lights, Iceland

Stay inspired. Keep shooting.

Article published by Bruce Lovelace

ABOUT BRUCE LOVELACE

Bruce is the publisher of this website. He is the author of the book "Improve Your Photography Instantly."  Read more on Bruce on his Bio Page. He's been known as The Traveling Photographer ever since 1994. Read more about this website.

View some of Bruce's photos on Instagram.   Visit the Facebook Page. Watch him on YouTube.  Bruce runs photo workshops for kids and adults, and provides one-on-one photography coaching.

Digital Photography Education Location on Google My Business

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