Nature Photography Tips
When you’re on a hike or other outdoor excursion, it’s always fun to capture the beautiful views and sites along the way. No need to lug around the additional weight of a camera, simply pull out your smartphone and take some photos! Here are a few tips to truly capture the beauty when photographing nature on your smartphone.
Shoot on landscape
Turn your phone sideways and start taking some photos! This allows you to truly capture the entire view that you’re looking at rather than limiting you to a small space when the phone is positioned upright. Plus, shooting landscape will give you more options when you go to crop it for an Instagram photo.
Use HDR mode to capture the details
This is a great tip for iPhone user! Selecting the HDR mode on the camera function of your phone will allow your phone to take several pictures at the same time. This helps gather all the small details that a normal camera function wouldn’t. This is perfect for seeing the details in nature!
Use rule of thirds
If you’re a photography fan, then you’ve already heard of the rule of thirds! If not, it’s simply a way to position your photo to make the composition more appealing. It’s the idea that if your photo were cut into thirds, your eye will automatically be drawn to the intersecting points. Use those points wisely when taking your nature photo!
Choose perfect time of day for the shot
If you time your photo perfectly, it will make for some magical moments! The timing will really depend on your location, but when the sun is the brightest typically is not the best lighting. Instead, take in the morning or the evening. Golden hour, a time period shortly after sunset, is typically the most beautiful time for photos – especially if you want to include yourself in the photo with the gorgeous setting!
Carefully place the sun in your photos
The sun can make a photo have a totally different look! It can add some streaks to the photo, making it fun and interesting, but it could also make it too bright and washed out. So choose the direction of your photo wisely, and choose a time when the sun won’t be in your shot!
Don’t use the zoom
When using a smartphone, avoid zoom as much as possible! It makes photos more pixelated and grainy, rather than the clear look you want. Instead, get up close to your subject when needed.
Be patient
Often, we snap photos on our smartphone without thinking too much about the shot we want. While this can be great to take tons of photos, it’s good to sometimes think about the mood you’re trying to capture with the photo. So take your time, and get that perfect shot!
Edit Wisely
With all the fun apps and tools, editing your photos on your phone is easier than ever. While editing can be great, be sure not to overdo it. Nature is beautiful on its own, so whatever you decide to edit, be sure it’s adding to it’s beauty and not distracting the viewers from it.
Try something unique!
Don’t be afraid to try something different. Find different angles, experiment with timing of the day, shadows, and more. The options are limitless when it comes to photographing the great outdoors.
Now that you have a few tricks, it’s time to get out and start working on your nature photography! Be sure to backup all your photos from your outdoor adventures using a Picture Keeper Connect. It’s perfect because you won’t need wifi to use it on-the-go during your adventures, and it will ensure all your favorite moments are safe in one spot.