Nature Photography Tips

Here at Birds & Blooms, we take special pride in our photography. We carefully select and scrutinize each photo to make sure it’s the best of its kind. Of course, we wouldn’t be anywhere without our talented group of photographers. They are the best in the business and really make the magazine come alive.

We recently asked a few of them to share some of their favorite stories from the field and picture-taking tips with you. Wow, were we delighted with what they had to offer! Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or a budding hobbyist, you’re sure to learn a lot.

Creative Compositions

1. A basic photo technique that can immediately improve your picture is to consider the point of view. In most cases, it’s preferable to try to get at eye level with the subject. This results in better eye contact and a greater sense of intimacy. —Dave Maslowski

2. Place important elements off center to keep the image from becoming static. Look for leading lines, or shoot on an angle to add a sense of movement. —Linda Detrick

3. Experiment with different angles until you find the subject’s best side. Some images are best when most of the surroundings are shown, while others are more successful up close. —Rolf Nussbaumer

4. When composing a photo, look for something that sets the image apart. It can be as simple as a nodding bud, a curled fern frond or a single leaf. —Linda Detrick

5. Move in closer to your subject, cropping out anything that isn’t important to your picture. You can walk closer or use your zoom. The idea is to fill the frame, whether you’re photographing your best friend or a prize dahlia in the garden. —Mark Turner

6. Try to avoid a messy background unless it adds to your image. Otherwise, it can be very distracting. —Rolf Nussbaumer

7. Many birds look their best on lightly overcast days because you’ll get incredible feather detail and vivid colors. Don’t include water in the frame on those days, though, because gray water is unattractive in most pictures. —Marie Read

Technical Tips Made Easy

8. Learn how to use shutter speed to your advantage. It takes a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second to stop a living creature that is standing still. It takes 1/250th of a second to stop something that’s walking or a flower moving in the breeze. The faster the speed, the more movement is stopped. —Kathy Adams Clark

9. To get a blurred background effect, you need to use a lower aperture setting, usually f5.6 or less. To get the opposite effect for more depth of field, use a higher aperture, f16 or f22. If these settings sound foreign to you, it’s time to get your camera manual and read up a bit. —Rolf Nussbaumer

10. Tripods can be cumbersome in flower beds, so I use a monopod instead. Monopods are mobile and allow you to get closer to butterflies. Plus, they keep me from damaging surrounding flowers in my wife Susan’s garden. —Richard Day

11. The histogram is the graph on the back of your camera. You see it after you’ve taken the photo on a digital SLR camera. Some smaller cameras show the histogram while you’re composing the photo. Learn how to read the histogram for better images. For example, if you see a spike on the right side, you’ve overexposed the white areas of the photo. —Kathy Adams Clark

12. Set your camera for its highest-quality mode, capturing the most information it is capable of in the biggest file. You can always make a smaller copy to e-mail to a friend later, but resolution (number of pixels) and quality (look for words like “superfine” or “fine” or an icon with smooth edges) are most important. This might mean you’ll need more memory cards, but they’re small and light and have become quite cheap! —Mark Turner

13. The best light is in the first two hours of the morning and the last two of the evening. But if you’re forced to shoot in the harsh light of the day or on a heavy overcast day, simply use a fill flash. Set your flash at a setting of –1 to –2 stops. This will help remove shadows on your subject. —Rolf Nussbaumer

14. For action shots, ditch your  tripod. I’m usually an advocate of tripods, but if the action is fast and furious, hand holding gives you better mobility. Be sure to use a fast shutter speed so your photos are sharp. —Marie Read

Be Prepared!

15. Keep on the lookout for birds doing something interesting for your photos: feeding young, eating berries or bathing, for instance. —Richard Day

16. The best bird photographers are also bird-watchers. They’re observant and understand bird behavior. When you’re not photographing, watch the birds closely to learn about their lives. This will help you pick up on the subtle cues they give when they’re about to do something interesting, dramatic and photogenic. —Marie Read

17. Don’t forget the importance of having flowering and fruiting plants in your backyard or at a nearby park. They are wonderful animal magnets and make great photo areas. Spend time watching these plants to see what comes. Just this summer I counted more than eight caterpillars, three spiders, five butterflies and a hummingbird in less than 10 minutes in a small patch of blooming plants. —Rolf Nussbaumer

18. Create vignettes of garden art and flowers in your own backyard where birds will land to complete the picture. When situating them, keep in mind where the light will fall at different times of day. —Carol L. Edwards

19 . Like me, some birds have a favorite “easy chair” or a particular spot they frequent. Learn where it is and start planning your shots accordingly. —Dave Maslowski

Keep It Fun

20. Take a picture of your gardenevery Saturday to document how your flowers change through the season. Then share a digital scrapbook with friends and family. Seeing how plants grew—or didn’t—each year will also help you plan your garden for next year. —Susan Day

21. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Who hasn’t looked at a picture and thought, What was I thinking? It’s impossible to know exactly how every detail will turn out in the final picture. I like to remind myself: If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough. —DAVE MASLOWSKI

22. When you’re photographing out in nature, it’s always best to anticipate action. I once captured great photos of an egret because I knew where it was roosting. At the end of the day, I was ready with my tripod and camera. —Roland Jordahl

23. It’s not easy to see birds while zipping along highways, so consider a leisurely back-roads drive to slow down and see what is sitting on that fence post or bit of rusty wire. —Carol L. Edwards

24. Explore the outskirts. Parks are usually groomed and manicured, but head over to where the weedy areas start. You might find an American goldfinch enjoying some thistles or a red-winged blackbird calling from a marsh reed. —Carol L. Edwards

25. Don’t give up on your shot. For instance, if you’re trying to capture a butterfly or dragonfly at a particular plant and it flies away, just stand still and wait. Chances are it will be back, and you’ll be ready to get your shot. —Roland Jordahl