Nature Photography How To

Muhhammad Roem considers himself an “amateur” photographer, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the incredible close-up images he shoots of insects and other critters.

Shutterbug reader Bill Tiepelman captured this profile of a beautiful red-bellied woodpecker in his backyard in Wentzville, Missouri. An avid bird watcher, Tiepelman has on old swing set in his backyard that he repurposed into a bird sanctuary in an effort to “attract as many species as possible.”

Besides photographing people, nature ranks among the most popular subjects. Much of this appeal comes from the fact that there's a sense of wonder and mystery at the beauty of flora and fauna. Through photography, we can express our fascination with flowers and share it with others. Whether you enjoy shooting close-ups of a bud unfolding, or a field of wildflowers in the...

One sure way to ruin an otherwise great photo is to miss the exposure and end up with ugly blown-out highlights. The problem typically occurs with landscape images when the sun peaks out from behind the clouds. But this unsightly mistake also happens with other types of images—both indoors and out—and doesn’t necessarily mean you have to blow off the shot.

I’m sure that everyone who has ever owned a camera has taken pictures of flowers. It’s impossible not to. Flowers are too beautiful to resist, and there are so many species and varieties that you could devote your entire life to shooting nothing but flowers and hardly scratch the surface.

Proper focusing techniques are essential for all types of photography, whether you’re shooting indoors or outside. This is particular true with travel and nature images that include a variety of elements from near to far. Do things right and you’ve captured a winning shot—otherwise it’s just another missed opportunity.

Since the development of photography in the early 1800s, there has always been a strong tradition of photographers using their work to promote conservation and social justice issues. One need only to look at the development of the National Park System in the United States to see the impact early photographers had on conservation. William Henry Jackson, with his 1871 Yellowstone photographs, helped push through legislation that established Yellowstone as the world’s first National Park. Another well-known example of a conservationist photographer was Ansel Adams, whose tireless efforts both as a photographer and as a 37-year member of the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors led to the establishment of Kings Canyon National Park in 1940.