Nature Photography How To

Photographing fireflies is a “thing” in Japan, where every summer photographers venture out in the early evening to capture these winged insects painting the landscape fantastic. These “lightnin’ bugs” also do their illuminating dance in the Southern United States, so you may want to try photographing their bioluminescence yourself.

Whether you’re a nature photographer, travel shooter, or portrait specialist, you’re no doubt familiar with several “Rules” of composition that are intended to help add impact to your work. There are two common themes running through of all of these guidelines. One is to grab the attention of those looking at your photos, and the other is to guide a viewer’s eye through the image in the way you intend.

Ask any experienced landscape photographer to name their favorite accessories, and the polarizing filter will be near the top of the list. Used properly, this simple tool adds impact to outdoor photos, but a heavy-handed approach will spoil an otherwise great shot.

Jack Fusco is a nature photographer and professional musician who had a crazy idea: He wanted to capture a time-lapse of the night sky in Hawaii with molten lava flowing into the ocean. The amazing video below proves that his idea wasn’t so crazy after all.

Toma Abonciu is a pro landscape photographer with some really helpful tips on shooting and editing nature images. In the quick video below he discusses six essential accessories he says should be in the arsenal of every photographer who is serious about shooting the great outdoors.

Some photographers feel that the photograph you capture in camera is the final image. Today, with the advent of the Raw digital format, most photographers can’t get away from applying post-capture processing techniques to their images since, by definition, the format is an unprocessed one. Some Raw files need very little work while others require more time and effort. Since my exposure and white balance was set accurately in the field, little was needed in the processing of these 2 elephant seals (#1).

Whether the view before you is an expansive vista, a majestic mountain scene, or a stunning seascape, there’s a good chance you’ll reach in your bag, pull out a wide-angle lens, and mount it on your camera. But that doesn’t guarantee a great image unless you avoid a few common errors.