NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

 Introduction to Nature Photography 

Equipment

Cameras

In selecting a camera, first define what you want to do with it. Nature is a broad genre and different subjects may require different equipment. Some categories to consider are macro / close-ups, scenics, wildlife, and birds. Fixed-lens (point and shoot) cameras can be used for the first two but are generally not well suited for wildlife and birds, and will have limitations for any subject that you may find frustrating as you progress.

A DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera with interchangeable lenses will give you versatility and the ability to grow and upgrade over time. The instant feedback provided by digital as opposed to film will vastly accelerate your learning curve.

 Tripods

A sturdy tripod is a necessity for the serious nature photographer. For macro and scenic work, you need the stability for fine-tuning compositions, as well as for long exposure times. For wildlife and birds, you need the support for the weight and size of the lens to achieve the sharpest images. Look for a tripod that is capable of going low to the ground, i.e., that has no (or short) center column and no supports between legs that limit this ability. Ball heads are generally preferred for shorter lenses and gimbal- type mounts, such as the Wimberley head, are generally preferred for super-telephotos.

   

 From the hand

There are times for handholding, such as when shooting from a motorized boat to avoid transferring the engine vibration to the camera, or for flight shots of birds. For handholding, a general rule of thumb is to keep shutter speed faster than 1/lens length. For example, with a 200mm lens, shoot faster than 1/200 second. With vibration reduction (VR) / image stabilization (IS) technology you can go a couple stops slower than this.

To achieve best sharpness, support the lens with your left hand under the barrel, tuck in your elbows, hold your breath and squeeze the shutter gently using the muscles in your finger and not those in your arms or shoulders.

   

  Flash

The need for flash, and type of flash, depends on your choice of subject. It is not commonly used for scenic photography or many wildlife subjects. Most bird photographers carry a flash along with a “Better Beamer” Flash Extender to increase the reach of the flash. For macro work, there are specialty flashes and flash brackets that are used to get light into very small, close objects.

The pop-up flashes found on some cameras are not particularly useful for most nature photos.

   

  You take the photo, not the camera

Exposure: correct exposure

Achieving correct exposure is fundamental to making good photos.

The camera’s meter assumes the scene is middle-toned, not light or dark, and will give correct exposure for mid-tone. But nature is full of subjects that are not middle-tone, such as sunrises and sunsets, white objects in snow, black birds on snow, white birds on dark bg.

You must learn to identify these situations and how to compensate from what the meter indicates for settings. Compensation is done differently depending on what you are metering

 

 Shutter speed (exposure time) and F-stop (aperture)

Shutter speed is how long the shutter is open, and varying this controls the amount of motion blur of a moving subject.

F-stop controls the depth of field, or how much of the image front to back is in focus. These are critical in all nature photography; you will want to make these choices consciously in your image. Make sure you know how to operate these controls on your camera.