Taking Beautiful Nature Photos in Your Own Backyard
February 12th, 2009 by Dan BodensteinThere are many nature photo opportunities awaiting you in your very own backyard. A bird feeder is a great way to attract birds of all sizes and colors to your backyard. Bird feeders also tend to attract chipmunks, squirrels and other cute little furry animals as well. You probably also have some beautiful flowers and trees in your yard as well. And, since your outdoor photography studio is just on the other side of your back door, you can shoot year round and at any time of the day or night. With some practice, you will learn what times of the day will give you the best lighting for your subjects.
Lighting is the most important aspect of any photo setting, whether it is indoor or outdoor. Your subject will look different depending upon either the natural lighting or the artificial lighting from a flash. On most days, you will find your best lighting in either the early morning or the early evening. The sun is low in the sky during these times of the day and the rays are angled to create rich colors. The sun is at its brightest from the late morning to the late afternoon and this bright sun tends to wash out your images. And, contrary to what most people think, overcast days are the best days to for taking photos because the lighting is soft and even. Freshly fallen snow makes for a great photo opportunity and there are many possibilities as icicles are formed and start to melt when the weather gets warmer.
Using natural light is the easiest to work with in most conditions. However, if the natural light is casting shadows on your subject, you can use your flash to reduce the shadows. Most cameras have a flash setting that will trigger the flash even in bright lighting situations. Flashes can be used to create stop action photos too. With some practice, you can freeze the movement of a bird’s wings or freeze the movement of a squirrel climbing a tree. A tripod is an important accessory for every photographer. Tripods keep your camera steady allowing you to use slower shutter speeds. A lightweight tripod that is simple to set up is the best choice.
Taking beautiful nature photos in your own background is easy as long as you have the right equipment. You’ll need a camera, preferably one that has a telephoto lens and a tripod so that you can adjust the shutter speed and keep your camera steady. And, remember to use your fill flash if unwanted shadows are falling on your subject.
Comments
Thanks for sharing the information. Fixing lights on the remotely controlled scanners is also a good measure to make proper light arrangement in the backyard. It reduces dependency solely upon the camera flash. Knowledge of using zooming feature is also essential as some distance shots look better than the closer ones.
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