Nature Photography How To

Regular visitors to Shutterbug’s website and Facebook page have no doubt noticed that we’ve been featuring a series of tutorials designed to help photographers refine their composition skills. This latest installment provides five powerful tips for composing landscape photos with maximum impact.

When most photographers anticipate perfect weather for shooting outdoors, they’re hoping for a balmy windless day, soft golden light, and a few billowing clouds in the sky. But not intrepid landscape pro Thomas Heaton, who has a totally different take on what constitutes fun and optimum photo opportunities in the great outdoors.

One of the first skills taught to budding photographers, is how to frame a scene correctly. And if shooting landscapes is your thing, a refined sense of composition is absolutely essential for creating images with impact. In this tutorial, you’ll see how one pro uses a keen eye for composition to create order out of complex or chaotic nature scenes.

If you’re stuck in a rut and need a few fresh ideas, this quick tutorial is for you. In just four minutes you’ll see how to make a big splash with your images by shooting creative photographs of water.

Today marks the 116^th birthday of Ansel Adams (February 20, 1902-April 22, 1984), a passionate environmentalist and one of the most iconic image-makers of our time. Were he alive today, Adams would no doubt be somewhere in Yosemite Valley, and he’d likely be pioneering new forms of photography—perhaps in the digital darkroom.

Serious nature photographers typically carry a bag full of premium glass on their excursions into the great outdoors, and in the video below you'll see what one award-winning pro says are, “the best lenses for landscape photography.”