How to Take Good Photos of Nature
Look for nature in the everyday., Photograph small animals and flowers down at eye level., Explore different angles and perspectives., Pay attention to textures., Play with sunlight., Learn the rule of thirds., Lead the viewer’s eye into the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for nature in the everyday.
You won't always have time to visit the zoo, farm, or forest, but you can still photograph nature.
Look for cloud formations, birds on a wire, bugs and bees, wet smooth pebbles in shallow water, pine cones, and sea shells.
Develop your eye for finding these snippets of nature, and viewing them as photography subjects.
As a beginner, it's easier to focus on the technical details of photography when you're not awed by a beautiful landscape.
With the advent of good cell phone cameras, you don't need to wait until you've grabbed all your equipment.
Get in the habit of taking nature photos while on a walk, in the grocery store produce aisle, or watching rain or snow fall from inside your house. -
Step 2: Photograph small animals and flowers down at eye level.
Crouch down to get a new perspective on these little living things.
Photographs from above tend only to capture the details that we see in everyday encounters. , The default approach is to photograph an object head-on.
There's nothing wrong with this perspective, but any subject has many more to offer.
Here are a few examples of ways to photograph a stand of trees:
Lying on the ground beneath them, looking up.
From the hill above it, looking down.
Sitting on an opposite tree branch, level with the canopy.
Close up on the bark, a leaf, a stem, or any of the hundreds of parts that make up a tree.
Focused on one of these objects, but capturing a soft background behind it. , From water to blowing grass to brambles, nature has an infinite variety of visual textures.
Contrast a sharp flower with a splashing raindrop, or the fluffiness of a cumulus cloud with a flat sheet of ice. , The same location can look radically different at different times of day.
The best time for nature photography is usually just after sunrise or just after sunset.
The natural atmospheric lighting at these times provide warmth and shadows, for a varied and balanced composition.
Closer to mid-day, the light tends to be too flat and bright.
Flowers are best photographed on days with no wind and a slightly overcast sky, to avoid shadows of the petals obscuring the colorful blooms.
Low levels of light generally make natural scenes appear more authentic.
They enhance contrast as well, which leads to great photographs.
Picture the crisp difference between dark water and a light sky. , When you're composing an image with a clear horizon line or another dividing horizontal line, never place it at the center of the photograph.
Position it either ⅓ of the distance from the top of the photo, or ⅓ from the bottom. , Hone your composition skills to find that perspective that draws the viewer in.
There are many ways to accomplish this goal:
Tree branches or bushes as foreground objects, framing the subject.
A curving path or road drawing the viewer in.
Diagonal lines from anything at all — a rock formation, a bent tree.
A gradation of color. , Nature scenes that contain a clamor of color are easy to find, and can certainly be beautiful.
But challenge yourself to find moments of a single, vivid color on a plain backdrop.
A bare, Burnt Umber bush over snow; the Early Spring Green of just-open leaves on white birch; the simple Forest Green of a canopy framed by sky. , Take your time to locate the right shot, especially when photographing animals.
Roam your surroundings with your feet and your eyes, and wait patiently and quietly for opportunity and inspiration to strike. , A macro lens is invaluable for extreme close-up subjects, such as insects, worms, and snails.
If you want to take distance shots, such as when you're trying to capture elusive animal subjects, find a zoom lens with at least an 80–100mm focal length. , If you have a camera with adjustable controls, learn what a change in aperture does to the focus point of the photo.
Do you want a picture from here to infinity? A smaller aperture with a higher f/stop (f8 to f22) will result in a deep depth of field (DOF).
For a shallow depth of field, with a single focal point on a blurred background, set the camera to a larger opening with a lower f/stop (f2 to f5.6).
The depth of field is defined as the depth of the zone in which the image is razor sharp. , If you can slow down the shutter, you can capture wonderful cascading waterfalls, or waves crashing against rocks.
Place your camera on a sturdy tripod or flat surface before shooting, or the moving subject will blur. , To photograph birds and other speedy subjects without blurring, increase the shutter speed.
Because the shutter only has a moment to let in light, you'll also need a fast lens, meaning a lens that opens extra wide to let in enough light in that moment.
The flash feature will also help "freeze" a single moment, though it may startle your subject. -
Step 3: Explore different angles and perspectives.
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Step 4: Pay attention to textures.
-
Step 5: Play with sunlight.
-
Step 6: Learn the rule of thirds.
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Step 7: Lead the viewer’s eye into the photograph.
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Step 8: Show off a single color.
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Step 9: Be patient.
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Step 10: Add specialized lenses.
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Step 11: Adjust the aperture.
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Step 12: Reduce shutter speed for water photography.
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Step 13: Increase shutter speed for fast-moving animals.
Detailed Guide
You won't always have time to visit the zoo, farm, or forest, but you can still photograph nature.
Look for cloud formations, birds on a wire, bugs and bees, wet smooth pebbles in shallow water, pine cones, and sea shells.
Develop your eye for finding these snippets of nature, and viewing them as photography subjects.
As a beginner, it's easier to focus on the technical details of photography when you're not awed by a beautiful landscape.
With the advent of good cell phone cameras, you don't need to wait until you've grabbed all your equipment.
Get in the habit of taking nature photos while on a walk, in the grocery store produce aisle, or watching rain or snow fall from inside your house.
Crouch down to get a new perspective on these little living things.
Photographs from above tend only to capture the details that we see in everyday encounters. , The default approach is to photograph an object head-on.
There's nothing wrong with this perspective, but any subject has many more to offer.
Here are a few examples of ways to photograph a stand of trees:
Lying on the ground beneath them, looking up.
From the hill above it, looking down.
Sitting on an opposite tree branch, level with the canopy.
Close up on the bark, a leaf, a stem, or any of the hundreds of parts that make up a tree.
Focused on one of these objects, but capturing a soft background behind it. , From water to blowing grass to brambles, nature has an infinite variety of visual textures.
Contrast a sharp flower with a splashing raindrop, or the fluffiness of a cumulus cloud with a flat sheet of ice. , The same location can look radically different at different times of day.
The best time for nature photography is usually just after sunrise or just after sunset.
The natural atmospheric lighting at these times provide warmth and shadows, for a varied and balanced composition.
Closer to mid-day, the light tends to be too flat and bright.
Flowers are best photographed on days with no wind and a slightly overcast sky, to avoid shadows of the petals obscuring the colorful blooms.
Low levels of light generally make natural scenes appear more authentic.
They enhance contrast as well, which leads to great photographs.
Picture the crisp difference between dark water and a light sky. , When you're composing an image with a clear horizon line or another dividing horizontal line, never place it at the center of the photograph.
Position it either ⅓ of the distance from the top of the photo, or ⅓ from the bottom. , Hone your composition skills to find that perspective that draws the viewer in.
There are many ways to accomplish this goal:
Tree branches or bushes as foreground objects, framing the subject.
A curving path or road drawing the viewer in.
Diagonal lines from anything at all — a rock formation, a bent tree.
A gradation of color. , Nature scenes that contain a clamor of color are easy to find, and can certainly be beautiful.
But challenge yourself to find moments of a single, vivid color on a plain backdrop.
A bare, Burnt Umber bush over snow; the Early Spring Green of just-open leaves on white birch; the simple Forest Green of a canopy framed by sky. , Take your time to locate the right shot, especially when photographing animals.
Roam your surroundings with your feet and your eyes, and wait patiently and quietly for opportunity and inspiration to strike. , A macro lens is invaluable for extreme close-up subjects, such as insects, worms, and snails.
If you want to take distance shots, such as when you're trying to capture elusive animal subjects, find a zoom lens with at least an 80–100mm focal length. , If you have a camera with adjustable controls, learn what a change in aperture does to the focus point of the photo.
Do you want a picture from here to infinity? A smaller aperture with a higher f/stop (f8 to f22) will result in a deep depth of field (DOF).
For a shallow depth of field, with a single focal point on a blurred background, set the camera to a larger opening with a lower f/stop (f2 to f5.6).
The depth of field is defined as the depth of the zone in which the image is razor sharp. , If you can slow down the shutter, you can capture wonderful cascading waterfalls, or waves crashing against rocks.
Place your camera on a sturdy tripod or flat surface before shooting, or the moving subject will blur. , To photograph birds and other speedy subjects without blurring, increase the shutter speed.
Because the shutter only has a moment to let in light, you'll also need a fast lens, meaning a lens that opens extra wide to let in enough light in that moment.
The flash feature will also help "freeze" a single moment, though it may startle your subject.
About the Author
Megan Stevens
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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