No matter where you go, halfway through the world or just the park near your house, photography opportunities will come around naturally waiting for the great nature shots to be taken.
To bring out the best of nature, it is important to know how to take great nature photographs to portray its real beauty. Nature photography consists of taking pictures of natural elements for instance, landscapes, wildlife, trees, flowers etc. Here’s a list of top 7 tips to take wonderful nature photographs.
1. Have a general preparation before the shoot
It is always wise to be prepared before your photography shoot. Know here you are going and what shots you want to take. Having a general idea of what you are heading towards gives you a clear vision to work on.
2. Slow shutter speed & tripod
Slow shutter speed helps you take extraordinary shots while keeping a tripod will help you to avoid blurry pictures and camera shake. Movement shots such as running water, trees blowing, birds flying or soft streaky clouds will come out great by using a slow shutter speed and a tripod.
3. Choose the right lens
If you are doing landscape photography a wide-angle lens is appropriate whereas a telephoto lens is good for getting close ups. You can also consider macro lenses to capture the small details such as water drops. The lens you bring depends on your photography style, therefore choose wisely.
4. Have a Focal Point
Having a strong focal point gives you a clear view of the image, defining where the customer interest or focus should go in the photograph. It results in visually pleasing and strongly focused pictures.
5. Rule of Third
The rule of third calls for the focus of the image to be placed in the side of the image and not in the center. This often makes the photograph look dynamic and static. However, it also depends on the picture and image type to determine whether the focus should be the center or the side of the picture.
6. The Right Lighting
Lighting can add a dramatic and aesthetic appeal to your pictures, giving it an exceptional look. You can try out images in some specific hours such as the Golden Hour. It is a beautiful time to take both landscape and closeup pictures as the natural lighting at this time gives a soft and golden glow to it, giving the picture an ethereal feel.
7. Aperture Adjustments
It is important to have a good idea on aperture adjustment to determine the depth of your photographs. Use a wide aperture for shallow depth of image such as closeups, which will blur the background and help to draw focus into the subject. However, for landscape photography smaller aperture helps to focus on the full image instead of a particular point. After capturing the photo needs some editing to improving visibility.
Photography is like freezing time and capturing that beautiful moment into a memory to look back on. Capturing the fleeting innocence of nature is something every photographer should try and experience. While nature is often unpredictable and the best photo capturing opportunity can occur when you least expect it, it is essential for photographers to go with the flow.