PhotoNaturalist - nature photography tips and tutorials

nature photography tips and tutorials

photography

How to Drive Your Passion as a Photonaturalist to the Next Level

by 15 Comments

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) / Photo by Wes Gibson
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) / Photo by Wes Gibson

This is a guest post by Wes Gibson, who’s been reading PhotoNaturalist for a few years now, but has been a photographer for over 20 years. After reading his post, please be sure to check out his blog for more of his posts. And, if you’re also interested in writing a guest post here on PhotoNaturalist, please contact me, thanks! –Steve

One of the things that attracted me to the PhotoNaturalist blog a few years ago was Steve’s philosophy of being more than a nature photographer. How we should go beyond just making images of our environment. How we should expand our knowledge and learn more about what we photograph. How we should become photonaturalists.

And, while I have a bookshelf full of nature books that I routinely refer to, I have recently discovered something that propelled my journey in becoming a photonaturalist to the next level: I started donating my photographs to local nature organizations. [Read more…] about How to Drive Your Passion as a Photonaturalist to the Next Level

5 Essential Tools For Closeup Photography

by 39 Comments

Tidy Tips / Photo by Steve Berardi
Photo by Steve Berardi
As nature photographers, we usually have to limit the amount of gear we carry (and that is certainly a good thing).

But, there’s always that list of “essential” items we bring on a hike, so here’s a little peek at what I carry in my bag when I know I’ll be doing some closeup photography:

#1 – Light Diffuser

Since you won’t always have the most ideal lighting conditions, it’s helpful to carry around some tools to help you control the light. A light diffuser will probably be the one you use the most, because they help balance the light on your subject. You can get a light diffuser at a camera store, or make your own out of a wire clothes hanger and a shower curtain. [Read more…] about 5 Essential Tools For Closeup Photography

What To Do When You Need Inspiration

by 11 Comments

Photo by Steve Berardi
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about how to tell if you’re in a slump. I made the argument that you’re most likely not in a slump at all–that perhaps you’re just learning and being more picky about your compositions (which is a very good thing).

But, what do you do when you really are in an artistic slump?

Maybe it’s been months since you shot a photo you’re proud of, or maybe you feel like you’re losing interest in photography. What do you do then?

Well, there’s one thing that has never failed for me: [Read more…] about What To Do When You Need Inspiration

Are You In An Artistic Slump or Just Learning?

by 5 Comments

Photo by Martin Taylor (used under the CC-Attr license)
When you first got your camera, I’ll bet you took a photo of just about everything. I know I did. When I got my first SLR, I could barely walk ten feet on a trail without stopping to photograph something. I probably photographed every flower or insect I saw.

But, then that pace starts to slow down after you have your camera for awhile. In the beginning, maybe you’d come home with over 400 photos on your memory card, but then after a few months it turned into 200, and after a year it might even get as low as 50 per day.

What happened? At first you might think you’re losing interest in photography, or maybe you’re in some kind of artistic slump (just like baseball players who sometimes go 40 at-bats without a basehit). [Read more…] about Are You In An Artistic Slump or Just Learning?

9 Tips For Photographing Perched Birds

by 20 Comments

Black-throated Sparrow / Photo by Steve Berardi
Black-throated Sparrow / Photo by Steve Berardi
We’ve talked about bird photography fairly often here on PhotoNaturalist, including posts on how to photograph birds in flight and how to photograph hummingbirds in the wild. Well, today’s topic is photographing perched birds, like in the photo above of a black-throated sparrow.

Bird photography can be frustrating at times, and it may seem like you always need a longer lens, but with a little patience and a few little tricks, you’ll be coming home with good bird photos in no time. So, here are a few tips to get you started: [Read more…] about 9 Tips For Photographing Perched Birds

New eBook on Wildflower Photography!

by 15 Comments

Wildflower Photography (eBook)Today, I’m happy to announce that the new edition of my eBook on wildflower photography is now available.

The eBook is a complete guide to photographing wildflowers with a digital SLR. It will teach you how to take stunning photos of wildflowers, and how to post-process them in Adobe Photoshop (CS 4 or later and Elements 8 or later). [Read more…] about New eBook on Wildflower Photography!