Pro tips for great nature images

Find out how to properly photograph flora and fauna

By Peter K. Burian

Ask any group of photo enthusiasts about their favourite subject, and most will reply "nature." That's understandable, since the outdoor world offers a lot of irresistible subjects: landscapes, gardens and individual flowers, trees, waterfalls, and animals. Particularly at this time of year, it's great to get outdoors to take such images. If you enjoy nature photography, are you fully satisfied with your pictures? Or do you wish they could be even better?

While a creative eye is essential for making great images, don't underestimate the value of technical excellence. If you want to take crowd-pleasing nature photos, use a rigid tripod and consider the following focusing techniques. You can achieve all kinds of interesting effects with various methods of focusing.

Get the most from your lenses

Your first step is planning on using your camera lenses to the best advantage.

Prevent flare

On bright days, stray light striking the front lens element can create flare: strange hexagonal shapes or a bright veil over the image. This syndrome can occur even if you're not shooting directly into the sun, especially with zoom lenses, which contain numerous glass elements.

To solve the problem, start by attaching a lens hood. If working with a tripod, use your hat or hand to further shade the front element. Or take up a position so a tree or its limbs block the direct sun. Remove any filter to minimize the number of air-to-glass surfaces that could cause flare.

Try longer lenses for landscapes

Whenever you find a spectacular scene, like a beach at sunset, take a minute to analyze what attracted your interest. After taking a few wide-angle shots of the overview, make a series of photographs with a longer lens. Zoom in to isolate individual segments that give this location its special charm. Perhaps it's the evening light dancing across wet pebbles, the repeating pattern created by rippled sand or pounding surf breaking over tide-worn rocks. Plan to make a detailed photographic study of each of these components.

Let each subject act as a symbol for the viewer, to represent the mood and the characteristics of this place and time. Some of your subjects will be as abstract as contrasting colour or lighting. Others can be as simple as the dynamic shape of some natural form. A few may be as bold as the line created by land and water as they meet. Most of your pictures will be nothing like those of other photographers. Instead, they will reflect your own individual style, your personal interpretation of some well-travelled location.

Am I suggesting that changing lenses can take the place of creativity? Of course not. But if you switch from a 28 mm to a 200 mm focal length, you just might discover a fresh way of visually exploring familiar scenes. Add a dose of imagination and seek out the best angles for the subject or lighting. The combination can make for a powerful statement.

Explore your focusing options — Control the background

Nothing spoils a great nature shot as quickly as a cluttered or overly bright background. Unrelated elements compete for the viewer's attention, drawing the eye away from the center of interest. These distractions can be eliminated with the following techniques.

Fill the frame with a subject, whether it's a tree, a peacock or a large blossom. Move closer to exclude any extraneous elements. Consider switching to a telephoto lens. The narrower field of view will include less of the surroundings, allowing you to frame the subject against a narrow patch of greenery, for example.
Shoot vertical images of vertical subjects. Most cameras are designed for the greatest ease of use when held in a horizontal orientation. However, many nature subjects are vertical: a giraffe, a tree, a flower, a mountain and numerous others. Flipping the camera onto its side will help you to fill the frame, excluding distracting subjects.
Subdue the background with shallow depth of field by using a wide aperture: f/4, perhaps, instead of f/11. Especially with a 200 mm or longer lens, this helps to unfocus the background, blurring it into soft blobs of colour that can complement the subject.
Shoot from a very low or very high position. The subject will stand out in bold relief, against blue sky or water, for example.
Move the subject to a better location, if practical, with a neutral or more distant background. Otherwise, walk around, exploring the subject from a variety of viewpoints, until you find one with a cleaner backdrop.
In close-up nature photography, a cluttered background can be very distracting. If you cannot find another solution, consider setting up a sheet of dark green bristol board. Place it far behind the subject, so it will be rendered as a soft blur with a natural look. If the background is very bright, ask a companion to hold a sheet of cardboard to shade that area. Even a tangle of weeds will not draw the eye if it is adequately dark.

Even if you live in a city, you should be able to find many possibilities for nature photography. A web search of your own region, or a location that you plan to visit on vacation, should produce many possibilities. Search for botanical gardens, wildlife rehab centers, small zoos and various nature preserves. These days, everyone is busy. But we can all find opportunities for outdoor photography, even in a city park surrounded by office towers.

Reprinted with permission of MSN Photos

Inset photos by Peter K. Burian.