Tips for Better Outdoor Photography
Five Outdoor Photography Tips for Your Digital Camera
by Brandon Layne
I n the past, taking high quality photos of wildlife, landscapes, sunsets, or even sporting events required a slew of lenses, and an understanding of white balance, exposure settings, focal lengths, and a lot of other technical aspects of photography.
Now most digital cameras allow you to master these things with the click of a button.
If you want to take a shot of wispy fog suspended in the branches of the trees along a river bank, or the sun reflecting off a red sandstone cliff face, or any other photo where you want to compress a broad outdoor subject onto a tiny photo, just switch your setting to landscape. That’s usually as simple as turning a knob to the little icon that looks like mountains.
For really distant subjects, most digital cameras today also have built in zoom to allow you to “pull” your subject closer. Zoom in really tight to catch a mother bird feeding her young in the nest, or an eagle snatching a fish from the lake.
Outdoor photography also presents many good opportunities for close-ups. If you’re hiking and you see something small that catches your eye, just flip your camera to the “close-up” setting. Look for the icon resembling a flower to get a really close shot of a snake hatching from its egg, or a pair of insects in combat.
Capturing those great outdoor scenes while you’re camping, sailing, hiking, or fishing doesn’t have to be difficult. Practice some of these tips with your digital camera and in time, you’ll greatly improve your outdoor photography skills.
- Be patient. Take a little time to set up your shot, and take more than one photo of your subject. With a digital camera you can easily delete the pictures you don’t want later, and if you take enough shots you’re more likely to wind up with a “keeper”.
- Compose your shots carefully. For anything other than portraits or close-up shots, you’ll get a more interesting photo if you avoid putting the subject of your photo in the center of the shot. Instead, offset your subject to the right or left of center in the frame. This will give outdoor photos (landscapes, nature shots, etc.) more depth, and includes the outdoor setting as part of the subject.
- One of the biggest outdoor photography mistakes is using only natural light. Instead, try using your flash outdoors, even on bright sunny days. Many digital cameras have a setting called “fill flash,” or something similar. It will soften the harsh shadows that are common in bright sunlight. Instead of your buddy’s face being hidden in the shadow of his cap, you’ll be able to see the glint in his eye as he holds up that monster trout for you to photograph.
- Look for good landscape shots early in the morning, or later in the day. The light is more subdued in the morning and early evening and let’s you capture details that might otherwise have been hidden in shadow. Outdoor photos taken when the sun is higher may be washed out, or you’ll wind up with a glare from the sun that ruins the picture.
- All of us shake and sway, and any movement results in blurry photos. Using the LCD as a viewfinder on a digital camera is easier, but doesn’t help you steady the camera. Instead, use the viewfinder and learn to steady the camera against your forehead, or press one hand against your cheek. Another way to combat blurry images is to use a tripod. I have a small (less than 12 inches tall) unit that is easy to carry, but does the job just as well as any of the larger models.
Mastering even one of these tips will make a world of difference in your typical outdoor shots, but all of them play a part in getting more quality photos from your digital camera that you’ll want to keep and share with others.
Brandon Layne is a “serious amateur”, using both 35mm film cameras and digital cameras - primarily for action shots and outdoor photography. He publishes current digital photography news and digital camera reviews.
