The Basics of Nature Photography
September 26th, 2008 by Dan BodensteinEveryone asks me what my secret is to taking really cool nature photographs. The secret is : The photo is more than just your subject, its a story. It’s key to remember that everything in nature is related to something else in nature. By this I mean, a spider alone may be a good photograph, but a spider in it’s web could be a better one. A closeup of a cheetah maybe beautiful, but to see him prance, pose under the shade of a tree would enhance the photo. Remember the movie Jaws? The photographer (who happened to be eaten by the shark) randomly shot a photo of the sharks eye. Not really a great shot. But it, prior to becoming shark bait, he would have stepped back and it would have been a better shot. A photograph should tell a story. Even if that story is, “Holy crap I just got eaten by a shark”
Green Cay at Sunset
Nature Responds to light
Outdoor shots in the sun react differently based on the time of day, and how the shadows affect it. For me the best time to shoot is in the morning light, or in the evening light. Hi-noon usually does not create stunning photographs.
Light approaching from an angle can affect textures by creating unique shadowing affects. So be conscientious about your lighting. Sunset images can create an abundance of warm colors in the sky. Look for these aspects when choosing a subject, it may actually lead to you choosing a subject you never would have considered shooting in the first place. Ever hold a flashlight under your chin in the dark? Much better image than just your plain old face in the daylight.
Forest Canopy
Whats the Angle?
When taking nature photographs, try different angles. When it comes to flowers or trees, try taking shows from below,facing upward toward the sky. It’s not necessary to make the object the center of the photo. Remember the rule of thirds, try placing the subject to the left, or the right of the frame in order to tell the story better.
When shooting wide angle, or landscape shots, try to include something closer to you in the foreground. This will add deeper perspective to the image and let people see the scale of the photo. Just be careful when photographing around cliffs, highways, and open manhole covers.
Eye of the Gator
The eyes have it.
Whenever shooting people or animals, always focus on the eyes. Faces are what people focus on, whether on people or animals. The eyes should be sharp and crisp. If your camera has a focus lock, lock in on the eyes, then pan away or back to get the whole shot. If the eyes are blurry, then the picture is essentially lost. I admit, trying to focus on the eyes of a moving object is not easy, but that’s why digital cameras have a delete button.
Get close, but not too close.
If you’re going to use a zoom lens, use some sort of support. A tripod, mini-tripod, or bean bag can help stabilize the shot. Get close enough so the object fills the frame in the way you want it to. Sometimes it’s not even necessary to get the objects whole body, or head in the shot. Use creativity to frame the shot so that people can recognize the subject, yet don’t need to see the entire thing.
Patience
Nature won’t always just stop and wait for you, unless maybe it’s an alligator sitting on the waters edge sunbathing. Wildlife moves. Take the time necessary to get that perfect shot. Take many shots in the meantime while waiting. Remember though, sometimes the subject may leave, so patience may not pay off. This leads me to the next item.
Red Shouldered Hawk
Know your subject
Once you’ve observed a subject many times, you’ll get to know patterns. Some birds actually poop before taking to flight. (This is also true of pilots) This may be a sign to watch for if your trying to catch a bird in flight. Some hawks swoop low before ascending higher. Knowing this can help you track it preemptively. If you know where the animal will be before they get there, you can get the best shot. This is also helpful when running away from wild animals. If you know where they’re heading … don’t go there.
Notes
If you don’t feel you can remember what every animal was, or the names of places you visited, take notes. Use a note pad or digital recorder to record the shutter exposure number, and the place or subject in question. It will make tagging the images easier later. I downloaded a program called Recorder to my iPhone. I use it to record messages, then later upload them to my computer. (Note: Frame 45 through 52 is a homeless man urinating in the wild)
Get out and take some pictures
It doesn’t matter what it is, just go take photos. Whether its a garden, your pet dog, a lizard, birds, trees, find something and practice on.
Above all, have fun.
Comments
I find that one of the most important things about taking photographs of nature is to be ready. Wild animals do what you don’t expect at any moment. I have seen this countless times with tourists as a safari guide. There is usually one person in a group who consistently gets the shots everyone else missed because they are watching, camera ready.
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