tips for nature photography

Nature photography comprises of shooting fauna and flora. This includes animals, flowers, trees, and plants photographed in their immediate environment. It is challenging because of the movement involved and the variety of subjects.

Following are some top tips for nature photography recommended by photography colleges in India:

Right Lenses

Always be prepared with the right lens. Typically, you would do well by using a lens with a longer focal length. This could be a zoom lens with a wide aperture. The reasons are twofold: firstly, you will require the longest reach possible like keeping a distance from animals without disturbing them. Secondly, you will need a sharp image of the subject against a blurred background.

Stormy Weather

The best scenery happens after stormy weather. The clouds break up and the sun streams through creating some dramatic lighting. For getting best of dramatic lighting of sunset and sunrise, it is good to shoot in HDR mode when camera takes multiple images of various exposures to ensure that both background and foreground are not blown out or over shadowed. Majority of smartphones have this capacity. Some photographers prefer shooting waterfalls and forest scenes when skies are overcast.

Keep the Distance

You must keep a respectful distance while shooting wildlife. Make use of a telephoto lens while taking photos of wild animals. The reason is that even non-predators like moose and deer have been known to attack and injure people when they feel threatened.

Separate Subject from Background

It is the aim of nature photography to focus on a natural subject like flower, animal, or plant. This implies that you need to separate the subject from the background of the frame. You need to make a few adjustments- firstly; you require keeping a distance between background and foreground. Secondly, use a wider aperture and focus on the subject in the foreground. The wide aperture will yield a blurry background.

Crop Closer

There is a whole new world to be discovered when you shoot closer. Zoom in and crop close on your subject like a snakeskin, forest floor, leaf or bark. For getting closer, invest in a macro lens that can magnify the tiniest details and produce amazing images.

Studying Subject

With regard to nature photography, it is important to study the subject. Reasons are that you can better capture images of things you understand and knowing habits of subjects will help in predicting shots. Also, when you know subject or animal is not dangerous, you can try close-up shots.

Keep Natural Context

This is not a hard and fast rule. If you want to indulge in nature photography, try to keep everything in the shot natural. For powerful photos, click photos of plants and animals in their natural habitat, for instance, on a leaf, on a tree or inside a water body.

Appropriate Gear

The basic gears you need to keep with you on a nature photography trip are lenses, cards, and batteries. One crucial tip is to wear suitable clothing and accessories like shoes and gloves. The outfit must suit the season and the location. Plan ahead on your gear. This is perhaps the most vital tip for beginners.

These are all the best tips for great wildlife photography as taught in photography colleges in Delhi.