Nature Photography Photo Workshop

Chapter 1. AWAKENING TO NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Exploring Your Relationship to Nature

Ethics and Etiquette

Safety

Location Scouting

Whether you capture a trickling mountain stream, pounding waves on a shore, ripe fruit on tropical forest trees, a snowcapped peak, or high dunes of pure white gypsum sand, nature photography connects you to the land in remarkable ways. To see an incredible natural spectacle is one thing; to make a good photo of it is another thing entirely.

This chapter introduces you to a framework for thinking about nature and photography. The best advice I can give you for how to become a better photographer is to consciously think about what you're doing. Maybe surprisingly, great photographs don't usually happen through sheer luck. As you learn, getting out and shooting more frequently is certainly beneficial, but some of the most significant improvements you'll make in your nature photography can come from performing activities other than shooting. Doing things like research, previsualization, writing, and even quiet contemplation will have profound effects on your photographs.

One of the most exciting aspects of nature photography is that it's never constant: The outdoor environment rarely remains the same for more than a few minutes. Often, a spectacular natural event lasts only seconds! If you see this coming ahead of time, you can be prepared to make beautiful ...