7 Tips You Need to Know to Enhance Your Nature Photography This Summer
With the warm weather finally upon us in the Ottawa Valley, hobby and professional photographers alike are heading to parks, lakes, and other wild spaces to capture photos of our iconic species and landscapes.
But before you do, read these 7 tips to make sure you’re keeping yourself and our natural environment safe in celebration of #NaturePhotographyDay.
Elevating your photography
Use the rule of thirds
Divide your frame into three equal parts vertically and horizontally, and place your subject on one of the intersecting points. Using a point away from the center can add additional visual interest.
Implied motion
Your photography tells a story and motion can make it much more powerful. Examples include water rippling across a lake or a white-tailed deer running.
Add depth
Your photos should jump off the page (or screen), and an excellent way of achieving this is by adding depth in your photography. Create a 3D-like feel to your photos by including landscape or objects in the foreground and background, playing with height, and framing.
Stay Safe
Know your limits
Everyone wants to get “that shot,” or just one more for the day, but knowing your physical limits is crucial to staying safe while photographing nature. You don’t need to climb mountains or put your knees through rigorous and ongoing crouching if your body can’t handle it at the moment. Flat terrain, walking trails, and more offer tremendous opportunities for photography.
Do your research
Before heading into the wild, ensure you’re aware of any potential off-limits trails or land, poisonous plants or stinging animals, and other risks you may encounter.
Respect the natural environment
Prioritize wildlife’s well-being
Ideally, the animals you’re photographing won’t even know you’re there. Avoid feeding wildlife or luring them towards you in some other way. When possible, add a barrier between yourself and the animals. Respect any closed areas of parks and keep to designated, official trails when out in nature to avoid disturbing the species which depend upon them.
Take what you bring
Avoid leaving behind garbage, food, or anything else you brought with you. Whenever possible, use reusable items like water bottles or containers for food.