Photos by Vic Berardi

Whatʼs most important is perseverance and taking a second look at your subject.

For example, consider the photo below:

Photo by Vic Berardi

When I first came upon this scene, I immediately saw an image that illustrated Robert Frostʼs poem “The Road Not Taken.” The road on the left, the lesser traveled one looks less developed, while the road going to the right shows a well traveled path. I wonʼt get into the full meaning of the poem here, but that’s what I wanted to communicate. This photo is sharp, exposed properly and has decent composition. But, it lacks something. It is, however, how most people would photograph the scene and leave it at that. It was taken shortly before noon with a polarizing filter to bring out the blue sky better.

After taking that first photo, I thought that it was the best I could do until a few hours later when I noticed a dark bank of clouds building far beyond the mountains. Knowing these would soon intensify, I drove back to the same spot and the lighting was much more dramatic:

Photo by Vic Berardi

This photo shows the element that was lacking in the first: an air of mystery of the unknown. Now the road on the left looks more menacing and uncertain. So, referring back to the poemʼs meaning, most would take the road on the right, not the left. But, of course Frost proclaims, “I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Vic Berardi is a raptor lover that lives in the Midwest. He is the founder of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch and every weekend of the year you’ll find him searching for hawks and photographing them. Several of his photographs have been published in a leading raptor journal and in articles he has written. During the year he gives presentations teaching others about hawks and hawk migration. Vic also photographs dragonflies and wild flowers and is always respectful of nature and its creatures.

Related posts:

1. “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”
2. 7 great resources for winter photography
3. Why Timing is Critical for a Photo

Black-chinned Hummingbird (juvenile female) / Photo by Steve Berardi

They’re fairly easy to photograph if you setup a feeder, but I prefer to photograph them in the wild, since my goal is to photograph truly wild moments. Sometimes that means waiting awhile for a hummingbird to show up at the perfect flower, but your patience pays off when you get that truly wild photo.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve learned so far about photographing hummingbirds in the wild:

Choose a location carefully

When you’re choosing a location to photograph hummingbirds, there’s a few things you should think about: nectar source, background, and light.

Hummingbirds are most attracted to red flowers, so you’ll most likely see them there. But, I’ve also seen plenty of them hanging out around white flowers, yellow ones, and even violet flowers.

You’ll also want to choose a location where there’s lots of places for the hummingbirds to perch with good backgrounds behind those perches (e.g. the background is far away and a nice solid color that contrasts well with the birds). Also keep in mind the background of the flowers, if you’re looking to get a shot of the hummingbird sucking nectar.

Another thing you want to think about is light. Choose a flower or group of perches that are frontlit by the sun. This way you won’t get any harsh shadows and blown highlights in your shots.

Lastly, I want to emphasize how important it is to leave no trace whenever you’re photographing something, so please choose a location where you can sit for awhile and won’t harm the land or soil around you. Don’t sit on top of other plants, or kill vegetation. Your best bet is to choose a nice patch of gravel to sit on, or a patch of dirt where nothing is growing.

It may take awhile to find this perfect place, but with so few wild lands left in our world, I think it’s vital that we protect what’s left, and leave no trace of our presence when we’re taking a photo.

Use a blind to mask your movement

Hummingbirds (and most wildlife) are much more sensitive to movement than they are to sound, so using a blind can help mask your movement while you’re sitting and waiting for hummingbirds to show up and suck nectar from a flower in front of you.

At first, I didn’t really like the idea of using a blind because I like to go on long hikes and couldn’t see myself carrying a huge blind with me. But, then I heard about Kwik Camo (not an affiliate link) from my dad: it’s basically just a camouflage sheet that you throw over yourself, so it’s super light weight. I’ve found that it doesn’t work too well with just the sheet though, so I usually build a tripod out of a few long sticks I find out on the trail and tie them together with a rope I bring. Here’s a photo of how I set it up:

This is the blind that I sat in to get the photo at the beginning of this post.

If you’re lucky enough to have a 600mm lens or longer, then you probably won’t need to worry about a blind. But, if you’re using a 400mm lens like me, then you’ll need to get pretty close to fill the frame with a hummingbird. The blind helps you get that close.

Photograph them when there’s a shortage of flowers

If you’ve ever watched hummingbirds for even just an hour, then you’ll quickly realize how territorial they are. They find a nice group of flowers and stand guard over them, warding off intruding hummingbirds by chasing after them. It’s even been observed that hummingbirds are willing to fight to the death to protect their nectar source.

So, why does this mean you should photograph them when there’s a shortage of flowers?

Well, I’ve noticed that when there’s less flowers around (e.g. in fall and winter), that hummingbirds are significantly more likely to stick to their ground and not get scared away by your presence. They know there’s not a good chance of them finding another patch of flowers, so they’re more willing to stand their ground.

On the other hand, when there’s a big supply of flowers, like in the middle of spring, hummingbirds won’t try to defend their territory as much because they can just move onto another patch of abundant flowers.

Anna's Hummingbird (male) / Photo by Steve Berardi

For example, the photo above of an Anna’s Hummingbird was taken during the winter in the desert–a time and place where flowers are pretty scarce. The only thing that was in bloom was the yellow bladderpod, and the hummingbirds were protecting those flowers fiercely. This particular Anna’s hummingbird was so motivated to stand his ground that he allowed me to get just a few feet away to snap this photo. If there was an abundance of flowers around, he probably would’ve just moved on.

Follow their migration patterns

Many hummingbird species are migratory, so if you’re looking to photograph a certain type of hummingbird, then make sure you check to see where they are throughout the year. And, try to catch them when they’re in the middle of migrating through your area.

Stop and take a look around once in awhile!

If you’re failing to find that perfect place to photograph hummingbirds, then you might want to just stop, sit down, and take a look around for awhile. Don’t even look for hummingbirds necessarily, but just stop and sit and observe the world around you. This will help clear your head and if you’re lucky, hummingbirds will start appearing right before you.

I remember one day when I went hiking in the San Gabriel mountains, I decided to take a rest and sit on a rock by a stream to read some Jack Kerouac for awhile.. and, about ten minutes into reading, I noticed a bunch of hummingbirds taking turns sipping water from the stream! It was one of the most amazing hummingbird moments I’ve seen. And, I wasn’t even looking for them when it happened.

Learn as much as you can about their behavior

With an uncontrollable subject like hummingbirds, it helps to learn about their behavior before trying to photograph them. That way, you can predict what they’ll do next.

I highly recommend picking up a book, like the Peterson Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America. This isn’t like most Peterson guides that just help you ID the subject, but it also contains a ton of information on hummingbird behavior and migration patterns.

Another (easier) way to learn about their behavior is to just sit down and watch them. But, don’t try to photograph them when you’re doing this because you’ll just get distracted. They’re pretty entertaining birds to watch, so find yourself a nice place to sit and enjoy the show!

What did I miss?

Although I’ve spent a lot of time trying to photograph hummingbirds in the wild, I’m by no means an expert and still have a lot to learn, so if you have another suggestion that I missed, please share it with us by leaving a comment below. Thanks!

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. How to Photograph Grizzly Bears
2. 3 reasons to photograph wildlife at eye level
3. How to Photograph Dragonflies (free eBook!)

Desert Sunflower @ f5.6 / Photo by Steve Berardi

But, sometimes it’s necessary to sacrifice a little sharpness for a better composition.

As an example, consider the photo above of a Desert Sunflower in front of a patch of Desert Sand Verbena (see original size photo too). There are three reasons why the sunflower isn’t as sharp as it could have been:

1. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and constantly swaying the flower
2. The camera’s sensor was not parallel to the most important plane of the flower
3. A pretty large aperture was used (f/5.6), which limited depth of field

Of course, the wind was out of my control, so all I could do for that was wait for the calmest moment possible. But, the other two were in my control. Why didn’t I address these problems?

Well, if I put the camera in a position where the sensor was parallel to the flower, then I wouldn’t have had the all-purple background. It would have been a mixture between green, brown, and a few blotches of purple. All these colors would have distracted the viewer and it wouldn’t have created as strong a contrast as the purple alone.

And, if I chose a smaller aperture to get more depth of field, then the background would’ve been a lot more in focus because it wasn’t too far away (only a few feet). I did take a test shot to see what it would’ve looked like if I increased the f-number by one stop to f/8.0:

Desert Sunflower @ f8 / Photo by Steve Berardi

Even just a one stop difference significantly changed the background from a nice seamless purple into a distractingly blotchy background.

Another thing to consider is the final print size you’re looking to make. Yeah, my flower photo here would look pretty blurry if printed at 30×20, but if I print smaller, then I can take advantage of sharpening through resizing. With flower photos, I think an 8×10 print is large enough, maybe 16×20 max?

So, consider your composition first, and then setup your shot to maximize sharpness of that particular composition. Don’t sacrifice your photographic vision just for a sharper photo.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. What went wrong with this dragonfly photo?
2. How to check sharpness out on the trail
3. 3 reasons to photograph wildlife at eye level

But, there’s at least one situation where you should avoid using this great accessory: whenever you’re shooting handheld.

Yeah, yeah.. I know, “always use a tripod.” But, there are times when it’s just not possible to use a tripod, like when you’re trying to photograph birds in flight. In these situations, you’ll likely be changing camera positions pretty quickly.

This might not make sense at first: isn’t the battery grip supposed to help you hold the camera? Well, it certainly does that, but it also adds a significant amount of weight to your camera, which makes it harder to hold still when it’s off a tripod. I never really noticed how much of a difference it makes until I went out photographing hawks in flight with my dad.

My dad doesn’t use battery grips on his cameras, and I never took mine off before, so when I picked up his Canon 50D with a 400mm lens on it, I almost felt like I was holding a feather in comparison to my Canon 5D with a battery grip and metal L-plate attached.

The bottom line with handholding a camera is that the less weight you have in your hands, the more stable you’ll be able to hold that camera (especially if you’re holding it for any length of time). And, as you know, getting sharp photos isn’t just about a still subject, but equally important is a still camera

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. What to do when you can’t bring a tripod
2. The OTHER reason to use a tripod
3. How to get sharp photos of birds in flight

This 18-page eBook is not meant to be a complete guide on the subject of photographing dragonflies, but it includes many great tips for dealing with the unique challenges of dragonfly photography. You’ll get the most out of the book if you already have a basic understanding of how to use your camera (you’re familiar with the terms aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, etc).

Here’s what you’ll learn from the book:

• What equipment you’ll need, why you need it, and why even a point-and-shoot camera can be good enough for getting great dragonfly photos
• How to ensure you get the sharpest photo possible, while finding a good balance between depth of field, aperture and shutter speed
• How to get a good exposure, and the benefits of certain lighting conditions
• How to create pleasing compositions of dragonflies
• Why it’s important to understand the behavior and biology of dragonflies
• Where to learn more about dragonflies (with a recommended reading list)

The eBook comes in the standard PDF format, which you can view with Adobe’s free Reader.

Please share this book with your friends!

If you find the content of the eBook useful (and I know you will!), the best way to thank us is to share this page with your friends on Facebook or Twitter, or feel free to even e-mail the eBook to them. Just please do not sell it — it’s meant to be free

And, if you’re not already subscribed to PhotoNaturalist, then sign up for FREE updates by email or RSS. Thanks, and have a great day!

Related posts:

1. New eBook, Digital Wildflower Photography, is now available!
2. What went wrong with this dragonfly photo?
3. 3 things that affect depth of field

Through his pioneering use of graduated neutral density filters, he was able to create some truly amazing images.

Throughout his life, he wrote numerous articles for Outdoor Photographer magazine, as well as a couple of instructional books:

• Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape
• Inner Game of Outdoor Photography

Mountain Light is currently not in print, but his other book, Inner Game of Outdoor Photography is finally back in print as an affordable paperback. A book that used to sell for hundreds of dollars used, is now widely available for less than $20!

I bought it a few weeks ago when it came back in print, and I just finished reading it today, so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the book:

The book is a collection of articles that Rowell wrote for Outdoor Photographer magazine throughout his career. And, it’s divided into four distinctive parts: visions, preparations, journeys, and realizations.

Visions – Understanding the creative and cognitive processes

In Part I, Visions, Rowell discusses the creative and cognitive processes that are required for creating emotional photographs. He talks about why photos don’t always look the way you remember them when you saw the scene in person, and he emphasizes the importance of pre-visualizing your image.

He explains how photographers who started as engineers often have problems with producing creative images, and instead focus on creating technically perfect photos (i.e. sharp, in focus, perfect exposure, etc). As a computer scientist, I’ve often felt this has been a problem for me, so this part of Rowell’s book was by far the most valuable for me.

Rowell also included a recommended reading list of books that talk about the cognitive sciences. Why is this important for photographers? Well, understanding how the brain works and perceives images will help you understand why some photos “just look better” than others: what looks good in person doesn’t always translate well to photographs.

Preparations – Pushing the limits of your gear

In Part II, Preparations, Rowell talks about some ways to push the limits of your gear. Although he talks a lot about film in this section, he also talks about other things that are more applicable to digital photography: how to pack your gear when traveling on planes, and how to use flash effectively for landscape images (I never thought this was important until reading this book!).

Journeys – Turning visualizations into photographs

In Part III, Journeys, Rowell shares a few stories about how he took a visualization and turned it into a photograph. He talks about the frequent need to eat a late dinner in order to get a great image, or how sometimes you need to run across a field chasing a rainbow to photograph it at the right spot before it’s all gone

Another story I really enjoyed from this section was the time Rowell spent in Northern Canada and learned to “dance with the caribou” in order to get close enough to photograph them. Apparently, caribou will let you get pretty close if you raise your hands in the air and move like them.

Realizations – “communicating your worldview through photography”

In Part IV, Realizations, Rowell talks about the importance of “communicating your worldview through photography.” He discusses some of the ethical issues of photography, like why you should label your “wildlife” shots as captive or truly wild. He also goes into the ethics of publishing photos, and explains why he wouldn’t publish photos in an article he doesn’t agree with.

After reading Part IV of the book, it became clear to me that Rowell didn’t just love photography, and he didn’t just love adventuring through the wild. He truly loved the natural world, and tried to protect it through his photographs and writing.

Who’s this book for?

This book may not appeal to everyone, because it doesn’t really talk about “how to use your camera” — it doesn’t explain how exposure works, or how to get sharper photos. But, I think it covers something much more valuable than that: how to visualize images, and how much work it might take to get just one of those visualized photos.

Lastly, I just want to comment on the design of the book: it’s perfect. I’ve noticed that most photography books are printed on that glossy paper (to make the photos look good), and are usually huge (making it awkward to hold and read in a chair). Well, this book by Galen Rowell is about the size of a magazine (super easy to hold in your hands), and the text is printed on non-glossy paper, so it’s easy to underline or write notes in the book. The photos for the articles are printed on glossy pages throughout the book.

So, overall, I consider this book a treasure. In fact, after just finishing it today, I would put it in my top 3 most valuable photography books (the other two are Ansel Adams’ The Camera, and The Negative).

Help support PhotoNaturalist and buy the book through our affiliate link!

If you’d like to buy the book, I’d greatly appreciate it if you used the Amazon link below. I get a small commission for each sale, but I want you to know that I’m only recommending the book because I really do believe it’s a great book by an amazing photographer.

Buy Galen Rowell’s Inner Game of Outdoor Photography on Amazon!

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. Book Review: Digital Landscape Photography by John and Barbara Gerlach
2. 7 great resources for winter photography
3. 11 great resources for night photography

Grizzly Bear / Photo by Robert Berdan

And, if youʼre also interested in writing a guest post, please feel free to contact me. Thanks!
________

I will never forget the first time I encountered a Grizzly bear on the trail. I was walking with my friend Frank toward Siffleur Falls on the North Saskatchewan river just west of Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

The grizzly bear raised its large head to get a good look, sniffed and continued moving towards us. I remember saying to my friend, “F- F- F- F- Frank there is a grizzly bear coming towards us!” You are not supposed to stare into the eyes of a bear or run as either might trigger an attack.

We slowly walked backwards and down a slope so the bear could not see us and then we made a dash back to the parking lot as fast as two old farts could go. I was carrying about 50 lbs of camera gear and a tripod, and on this hike neither of us had brought bear spray. Luckily, the parking lot was only about a half mile away. There were several other cars parked in the lot so we called the Park Warden in case he might want to post a warning sign on the trail. He replied, “Oh that old Grizzly, he’s harmless.”

I didn’t get a photo of that Grizzly bear, and I rarely go hiking in the Canadian Rockies without bear spray and a few bear bangers. Bear Spray is reported to be 95% effective in warding off a bear attack, but to work you have to be a few feet from the bear. Bear bangers give off a loud noise and can be deployed at a greater distance, you just need to be careful not to fire them so they land behind the bear or he might come running toward you.

Actually, I love to photograph Grizzly bears from a safe vantage point. Most of the Grizzly bears I have photographed have showed no sign of aggression. Still, the safest way to photograph bears near the road is from your car. I often see Grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies feeding on dandelions next to the road in the early morning hours.

Another safe way to photograph bears is from a boat. On the west coast within the Great Bear Rainforest located in Northern British Columbia, I have photographed Grizzly bears in remote estuaries from a kayak or zodiac. In these remote locations, the Grizzly bears seem to be indifferent to visitors. In some places I have seen a dozen or so bears together including mothers with cubs. So long as food is plentiful they seem to tolerate other bears and people.

My favorite place to photograph Grizzly bears is next to the Atnarko river near Bella Coola, British Columbia. The river runs next to a road and there are several pullouts near fishing holes where you can park your vehicle and take photographs while the bears feast on spawning salmon in September. Just remember to leave your lunch at home.

The most important elements of success in wildlife photography are location and timing. Other than that you need to have a long lens, a 70-200 mm lens is bare minimum, a 300 to 600 mm lens is best and a teleconverter can often be useful to get greater magnification.

Always have your lens set to its widest aperture (e.g. f/2.8 or f/4) and don’t attach any filters as you need the fastest autofocus and shutter speed you can get.

If the light is low, increase your camera’s ISO speed and try to get a shutter speed of 1\500 second or faster even if you are using a tripod or monopod. When photographing bears, as with most wildlife, try to focus on their eyes and watch for interesting behavior.

Tips for Photographing Grizzly Bears

1. Use a long lens (at least 200mm) set to its widest aperture (with no filters attached)
2. Visit places where you will find bears. One way to do this is to join a tour group that specializes in bears, or visit parks and natural areas where they are seen frequently (e.g. Banff National Park in Alberta, Knight Inlet in British Columbia or Denali National Park in Alaska in Autumn).
3. Use a fast shutter speed (1\500 second or faster) to stop the animalʼs motion and to minimize the time your camera is subject to vibration.
4. Don’t feed or bait bears, and obey all local regulations regarding their viewing.
5. In bear country, if you come upon a freshly killed animal, beware and move away quickly.
6. If you are going to hike in bear country, bring along bear spray, bear bangers, make noise or bring along an air horn and I suggest you read “Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance” by Stephen Herrero.
7. Finally, I suggest you go hiking with someone you can outrun or that is carrying more gear than you

No matter where you live, if you are interested in wildlife photography, the best place to start is in parks or wilderness areas close to your home. Most natural areas support a wide variety of birds, and small rodents and these fast moving critters can be a challenge to photograph. To photograph animals such as bears, caribou, and deer, travel to locations where they are abundant and learn all you can about the biology of the animals before visiting.

Finally, remember that no photograph is worth endangering your life or that of the animal.

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Robert Berdan is a professional nature photographer, biologist and multimedia developer located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Robert uses both Nikon and Canon gear. Read more of his articles at his website, The Canadian Nature Photographer.

Related posts:

1. 3 reasons to photograph wildlife at eye level
2. How to Photograph Hummingbirds in the Wild
3. 5 reasons to minimize your camera gear

#1 – Learn from other photographers

There are a ton of photographers on Flickr. In fact, as of October 2009, Flickr has over 4 billion photos. The best part? Every single one is searchable by you.

This means you can search for photos of your favorite subject, and see how other photographers have photographed that same subject. I think we all see the world in a completely unique way, so seeing through the eyes of another photographer can help inspire you.

Some photographers on Flickr also make the technical details of their photos public, so you can see what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO they used for a photo.

#2 – Receive feedback on your photos

Getting feedback on your photos is a valuable way to determine if they portray the feeling you were looking to capture. It’s also a way to find solutions to technical problems you’re having (like “why isn’t this photo sharp?”).

Although a lot of people on Flickr just leave basic comments like “great photo!”, there are also a few people who leave great feedback too. The key to getting better feedback is to ask for it in your description. But, don’t be vague about it. Instead of asking, “what do you think of this photo?” ask something more specific like, “I’m not sure I like that cloud in the upper left. I should have waited a few minutes for it to move more to the right of the image. What do you think?”

#3 – Scout new locations

With so many photos on Flickr, it’s easy to explore a bunch of photos from a particular area to give you an idea of what it looks like. This can help you prepare for a trip to a new location.

With the advanced search feature, you can scout places in even more depth if you search by date. For example, you can search for photos of a mountain peak that were taken in the month of June, to see if it typically still has snow on it by that time of year. You can also use the search to see how strong a waterfall is flowing throughout the year, or even keep track of the wildflower blooms.

#4 – Help identify unknown subjects

If you’re having trouble identifying a wildflower/bird/etc, sometimes you can use Flickr to help. This works best when you’ve narrowed down the search to one or two possibilities (by using field guides like the great Peterson series).

To help identify the subject, you can try adding the photo to a relevant group and asking for help in the description of your photo. Another way is to just search for the two possible answers you’ve narrowed down to, and compare these photos to yours.

It’s important to not rely too heavily on this method though, since many people actually misidentify subjects. However, sometimes you’ll be lucky and find photos of your subject by a botanist or wildlife expert, so you can safely trust those

#5 – Another form of backup for your photos

One of the principles of a good backup system is redundancy: have copies of your stuff in multiple different places. So, I’d never advise to use Flickr as your only source of backup, but it could easily be another place to store your final processed images.

If you’re worried about strangers taking your full size images, it’s easy to setup your account so only the small sizes are displayed to the public.

#6 – It’s integrated with tons of other tools

One of the things that makes Flickr super easy to use is that it’s integrated with a bunch of other tools. There’s tons of user friendly tools that help you upload and organize photos, and Flickr is also integrated with image printing services like Image Kind.

What did I miss?

If you’ve found another great use for Flickr, please share it with us by leaving a comment below!

And, please feel free to add me as friend on Flickr

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. 5 great resources for nature photographers
2. 5 reasons to minimize your camera gear

Mojave Desert at Sunset / Photo by Steve Berardi

I’ve probably re-read Ansel Adams’ book The Camera at least five times, and I still learn something new each time.

So, I’ve decided to start putting together collections of previous posts that have a central theme. I know that some of you haven’t been reading PhotoNaturalist from the start, so maybe you’ve missed a few of these posts. I don’t know how often I’ll do this, but to start off, here are some of the most popular posts I’ve written on landscape photography:

#1 – Include a foreground and background in your composition

Of course, there are no strict rules about composition, but as a guideline, you may want to consider three elements that are common in great landscape photos: a foreground, background, and great light.

#2 – Remember to bring a tripod, polarizer, compass, and flashlight

The tripod is necessary to keep your camera stable during those longer shutter speeds you’ll usually need for landscape photos. The polarizing filter helps eliminate unwanted reflections and deepens the blue of the sky. A compass is useful when you’re trying to determine where the sun will set in relation to a geological formation, and since you’ll often find yourself hiking back in the dark, it’s a good idea to bring a flashlight too

#3 – Don’t rely on auto white balance

Auto white balance usually works pretty well, but sometimes it’ll cause problems for landscape images. This usually happens when the majority of your photo is one color. If you shoot in RAW though, you can safely fine tune the white balance setting later in post-processing, without sacrificing any quality.

#4 – Turn on extra noise reduction for long exposures

With long exposures (anything more than a second), you’ll start to have more noise problems, so most cameras have a special noise reduction feature for these long exposures. Remember to turn it on if you’re photographing a scene in extremely low light.

#5 – When you can’t bring a tripod, improvise

Sometimes you can’t always bring a tripod with you, so in those cases you can just improvise with the objects around you: rest your camera against a large rock or lean against a tree. Anything to help you reduce camera shake will lead to sharper photos.

#6 – Use height to communicate emotion

The height of your camera in relation to the landscape will help communicate a particular emotion, so consider what you’re trying to convey with the photograph. The higher the camera, the more superior the viewer will feel over the landscape. On the other hand, if you place the camera closer to the ground, then the viewer will feel more inferior to the landscape, as if it’s conquering them.

#7 – Scout the land ahead of time

Before you go out to photograph a landscape for the first time, it’s a good idea to scout the area first by looking at a topographic map and using a program like Photographer’s Ephemeris to determine where the sun will be when it rises and sets. This way, you’ll know where that glorious light will shine during the golden hours.

#8 – Photograph the landscape at the right time

With the lighting conditions constantly changing during the golden hours, it’s important to get to your photo location well ahead of time to setup your shot and wait for that perfect moment.

#9 – Take two shots if you need extra depth of field

With some photos, you may want to include a foreground that’s very close to your camera, along with a background that’s very far. Even with a super small aperture, this will likely cause depth of field problems, so you can try taking two photos in this case: one that’s focused on the foreground and another that’s focused on the background. Then, just merge these two photos later in post-processing.

#10 – Setup your tripod carefully

This is a post I recently wrote at the Digital Photography School, about how to setup your tripod. Although the tripod seems like a pretty simple piece of equipment, there are a few things to keep in mind when you set it up to ensure you get the sharpest image possible.

#11 – Explore Flickr for inspiration

Okay, so I don’t have a blog post on this one yet, but I like prime numbers, so I wanted to make sure I had 11 tips. Anyway, one of my favorite things to do when I need inspiration is just explore photos on Flickr. Sometimes I just look through the photostreams of some of my favorite photographers (like Kevin McNeal, Ben Hattenbach, Patrick Smith, or Michael Menefee), and other times I just look at photos from my favorite locations (like the Mojave Desert or the chaparral of Southern California).

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. Book Review: Digital Landscape Photography by John and Barbara Gerlach
2. 7 tips for photographing waterfalls
3. 7 tips for photographing silhouettes

Creosote Bush at Sunset / Photos by Steve Berardi

Of course, neither photo is necessarily “better” than the other (in fact, about half the people I’ve asked prefer the first one, while the other half prefer the second). The two photos illustrate just how much can change in a short amount of time. I’ve talked about this before, as it applies to landscape photos, but it’s really something to consider for all types of photography.

After all, a photograph is really just a snapshot of time. Nature photography isn’t just about taking photos of a particular subject, but it’s also about taking those photos at the right time.

When is the right time though? Well, that’s actually up to you as the photographer! The right time will depend on what you’re looking for in the final image. The right time for one kind of image might be the wrong time for another kind of image.

As a simple example, let’s say you want a sharp photo of a flower. Well, then you should probably wait for the moment where the camera and flower are perfectly still, and when the flower is lit just the way you want it.

Or, let’s say you’re looking to photograph your favorite waterfall. Then, you might want to photograph it at sunrise (for the even lighting), and when the water is flowing strong.

Other times, you may not even make plans to photograph a subject and you just randomly stumble upon it at the right time: perhaps you sit down to take a break during a hike and all of a sudden a hummingbird starts sipping nectar from a nearby flower with a great background.

The point I’m trying to make here is that nature photography isn’t just about being in the right place, but it’s just as important to be there at the right time as well. Sometimes you can plan this, and other times you’ll just need a little luck

If you enjoyed this article, and would like to read more, please signup for free updates by email or RSS.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.

Related posts:

1. Why the Sharpest Photo Isn’t Always the Best Photo
2. How to create intimate portraits of nature
3. “Wow, you must have a really good camera!”