Take better pictures of the great outdoors

Six tips that will make a difference

You've mastered the point-and-shoot technique that makes it so easy to photograph all the big and little events of life--the first soccer practice, the ski trip, the family vacation.

Chances are that you've also taken a lot of pictures of the great outdoors whether in your own backyard or on those family vacations. Now you can turn those photos into exceptional works of photographic art with a little know-how and some tips from a professional. Award-winning photographer Kevin Gilbert shares some simple techniques you can use to take your outdoor photography to the next level.

Tip: Read your camera's manual. One thing that will help you take better pictures no matter where you're shooting is using your camera's built-in settings. The more you know about how to use your camera's features, the better your results will be.

Black and White

This image was taken close to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at a spot in the Grand Tetons, where Ansel Adams created one of his famous pictures. The original image is in beautiful color, a sunrise taken at 5:51 A.M.

You can easily convert color photos to black and white by using your favorite image-editing program like Digital Image Pro or Photoshop Elements. With some camera models you can even do this in the camera before downloading the image to your computer. Once the image is on your computer, you can use your image-editing program to adjust contrast and brightness to create a photograph that's reminiscent of an Ansel Adams.

Silhouettes look terrific in black and white, as do old buildings. The effect adds drama. But be sure to reserve this technique for landscapes or buildings. Photos of family members in black and white may not be as warm as you want them to be.

Fill the frame for dramatic effect

The below-left picture is pleasant, but it's rather boring. Sure, the sky is lovely and the beach is large and empty. But I really wanted to capture the texture of the beach. By tilting the camera down about a third of a frame I created a much different effect (below-right).

Look carefully at the picture you're framing before you click the button. Experiment by moving the camera up and down, side to side. Tilt the camera to various angles and see what it shows you. Fill the frame with the object that interests you most. If your digital camera has an LCD screen, you can use it to improve your sensitivity to the entire scene.

Get up close

Most people see a group of flowers, say, "Wow!" and snap a shot of the whole bunch. Don't settle for this canned shot; zoom in on the details. Almost every camera has a magnify or macro button that lets you get close and create a much more interesting photo.

You can photograph an ant, a penny, a tiny shell--have some fun and get creative. Just remember to fill the frame with the beautiful lines and colors of the object you are capturing.

Look around you

When visiting a national monument, some people photograph what they've come to see. I always remind people that if there's beauty in front of you, there's probably beauty behind you. Look around, and you might find something unexpected to shoot.

For example, I took both of the above pictures while standing in one spot in Yellowstone National Park. Although I came to shoot mountains, I looked down and saw these contrasting flowers in the rocks. Then I looked up and saw a plane. The lines were interesting, so I snapped the shot. While I got my shots of the mountains, I also came away with a couple of nice surprises just by looking around.

Change your perspective

Most people stand up and shoot their photographs at a 45-degree angle. Try bending over, getting down on your knees, or standing above your subject.

If you're photographing a group of people, for example, why look at them straight on? Stand on a chair and have them look up at you.

When I captured images of a field of blue flowers (above) I was on my knees close to the ground so that I could look directly at the flowers. Changing perspective can turn an ordinary situation into an extraordinary photograph.

Plan for the time of day

Sometimes you can turn pretty images into terrific ones by shooting at different times of day or in different types of lighting.

Many people take pictures of things they see for the first time--a boat on a quiet lake, the boardwalk at an amusement park, the ocean, an interesting landscape. But in different lighting situations, your image might be much more effective. You might ask yourself, "What would the boardwalk look like this evening, when the sun is setting?"

The above photos show the same image captured at different times of day. The one on the left has harsh, midday, almost 'stormy-like' lighting. The other one, taken in the same place later in the day, is peaceful and moody. It's a dramatic difference that has an effect on the story you want to convey through the image.

Experiment

Take these six easy tips that all of the pros use too and add them to your own bag of tricks. They don't require complex camera settings or even an expensive camera. They require only that you look at the world around you a bit differently when viewing through the lens of your camera.

Kevin T. Gilbert is a 20-year veteran photojournalist based in the Washington, D.C. area, where he has covered superpower summits, professional sports, national political campaigns, and the news of Washington and the nation. He is currently the managing partner of Blue Pixel, one of the country's leading digital imaging consulting teams, and President of Arkhaven Group, a digital production company that shoots digital still imagery for corporations and television networks. Kevin recently finished his fifth term as President of the White House News Photographers' Association (WHNPA), and he is the winner of over 35 photography awards from the 80-year-old WHNPA. The National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Newspaper Design have also honored him for outstanding photojournalism and design. Kevin spent 14 years at The Washington Times newspaper, including five years as chief photographer.

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