Nature Photography TipsThis article about nature photography tips is a general guide to give you some ideas on getting started with nature photography. Use the links at the end of the article to read about more detailed tips. Look at the Light I was on a photo nature hike. It was a beautiful fall day, with a warm breeze and blue skies and I was deep in the woods.For the photo above, I came upon an algae covered pond and looked across at a beautiful array of pastel colors, gently highlighted by the brush of a few filtered patches of softened sunlight. Often the most interesting light is found very early and very late in the day. Photographer's use the term Sweet Light or Golden light. Look at the Colors
I am always intrigued by the naturally occurring range of colors that are represented in nature. I often create photos that don't have a center of interest, but rather record color patterns and textures. In the nature photo on the right, I thought it was interesting to compose the picture with the yellow leaves surrounded by the blue sky, which was then framed in by the green leaves. To get the right exposure, I actually had to underexpose the image. My camera's meter was "fooled" a bit by the dark underside of the shaded green leaves. It is a common photo mistake to always rely on your camera's auto exposure system to get the perfect exposure in all lighting conditions. It analyzed the scene as an average situation and would have lightened the image up too much, resulting in overexposure of the sunlit yellow leaves. Shutter Speed  Another nature photography tip is to think about shutter speed before you take your picture. If you want to capture movement in a picture of nature use a slow shutter speed. Waterfalls, rivers and waves on the beach are great examples where intentionally having motion blur adds to the appeal of a nature photo. This technique requires a sturdy tripod and a remote or cable release. The photo's exposure can vary from 1/2 second to several seconds, depending on the effect you want and the amount of light that is present. Photography Equipment You don't need specialized equipment to be able to take great pictures of nature. However, there are certain situations that specialized equipment will expand on what you can accomplish. I was packing 2 Canon DSLR cameras with zoom lenses, extension tubes, a Canon speedlite with an attached quantum turbo battery and a tripod. Have a camera that has a zoom lens with a wide range of zoom. Purists will tell you that a prime lens give you the sharpest results. A prime lens means it has a fixed focal length-not a zoom. When zoom lenses are constructed there are compromises made in quality to allow it to vary the focal length. Although it's true to the super critical, most viewers will never be able to tell by looking at a photograph if it was taken using a zoom lens or a primary lens Another nature photography tip to reduce glare or to darken a blue sky is to use a polarizing filter. You can have a great time taking pictures of nature because you are combining two pleasurable activities: getting out in nature and also mastering tips on taking digital photography. Happy Shooting! Back from Nature Photography Tips to Nature Photography |
