6 Nature Photography Tips from National Geographic

Nature PhotographySummer is coming, and with summer vacation comes travel, and with travel comes the urge to snap photos of sweeping landscapes, rugged coasts, lush forests, and valleys that are so picture perfect you feel like youโ€™re in a dream.
 

The problem, of course, is capturing the scene to really highlight the various colors and textures you can see but that your camera wonโ€™t automatically capture. For the solution, I looked to National Geographic. If anyone knows how to capture nature at its most awe-inspiring, itโ€™s them.
 

Here are 6 nature photography tips from the team at National Geographic:
 

1. Shoot photos on cloudy days

 

We have talked about lighting a lot recently (you can read about it in-depth here), and it is especially important when shooting photos outside. Bright sun bleaches out colors and adds harsh textures and shadows. Cloudy days, on the other hand, diffuse and soften the light, which also leads to deeper color saturation.
 

2. Play with texture

 

Bright sun is not always the enemy. Some scenes are made special by their textures โ€“ mountains, sand dunes, water. The sharply angled sun you get at sunrise and sunset will highlight those textures and deepen shadows, making those scenes really pop (rather than feel flat).
 

3. Keep an eye out for distractions

 

When shooting nature, do your best to keep manmade objects out of the photo. Utility poles and wires, fences, buildings, signs, etc. will distract from beauty of what youโ€™re capturing.
 

4. Include details that convey your feelings

 

This is a really cool tip: When youโ€™re shooting a scene, think about how you would describe it, and then try to capture an object or detail that illustrates your description. For instance, if youโ€™re shooting a photo on a hot day, look for heat shimmering above pavement in the distance.
 

5. Think carefully about background when shooting animals

 

Animals tend to blend into the background in their native habitats, so be patient and wait for the animal to move. You want it to be outlined against a contrasting color so itโ€™s more visible, whether thatโ€™s the sky, a river, or field.
 

5. Angle shots and photograph plants en masse

 

When youโ€™re trying to capture the detail of a plant, shoot from different angles โ€“ top, side, other side, below โ€“ to see what works best. Another great tip is to capture plants en masse for a dramatic effect.
 

For more advanced tips โ€“ or just to view some stunning nature photography โ€“ check out the National Geographic blog post on the subject.