A few words for beginning photographers photographing nature.

My favorite place to shoot is anywhere you can find natural settings, landscapes and wilderness, especially if there is good natural light. Nature provides limitless opportunities to find interesting subjects to photograph. You don't have to find some exotic place to find interesting subjects; but you might have to think beyond what first comes to mind. Even in an urban environment you can find something cool that nature has provided that would make an interesting shot. Learn the basics of controlling the shot: depth of field, shutter speed, point of focus (composition), exposure an so forth. Also, it is very important to understand the light you are shooting in. Think of light as having qualities: Is the light harsh, soft, is the light diffused and hazy and etc.

In the "olden days" we had to use film and were quite limited on how many photos we could take. Of course, now with digital cameras you can take limitless pictures and see the results instantly. Take full advantage of taking many photos, but pay attention to every single one. Ask yourself questions: Did I focus on what I was trying to focus on, is the light they way I thought it would be, is the composition good...so forth and so on. The more you as a photographer start to think about these things the better you will begin to understand how they all mesh together. Of course there is quite a lot to think about but it will pay huge dividends if you can learn to master these concepts and manipulate them to your advantage.

With nature photography light can be the magic tool that makes your image. People talk about "magic hour" and this is the time right as the sun is setting or coming up. Generally during this time the light is not as harsh, thee is an amber cast that people love and you get some beautiful colors. So, try shooting near sunrise or sunset. But, experiment with all times of day. Bright sun can be great too but it can be very tricky to shoot in. Look for days where the sky has an even overcast and try it out. Experiment with all of the parameters of making a photograph and play with the light. Most of all experiment, be bold, try stuff and have fun!

#naturallight #howto #guide