Pre Wedding Video: June 2022

Thursday 30 June 2022

5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing)

The post 5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

Looking for Lightroom tips and tricks to improve your workflow, increase your speed, and enhance your edits? You’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been using Lightroom for over a decade, and in this article, I share my top advice for amazing results, including:

The panel that everyone should use for beautiful, artistic edits
An easy way to apply complex edits at high speeds
The best tools for creating fine-tuned, professional effects

Let’s do this!

1. Create color harmonies using the HSL panel

If you’ve never worked with the Lightroom HSL panel, then you’re in for a treat. It’s a little option hidden underneath the Tone Curve that looks like this:

The panel works by targeting different colors independently. You can choose to tweak only the reds in an image; you can brighten only the greens; you can desaturate only the blues. You simply pick the corresponding color slider, then make the necessary adjustments.

Note that the HSL panel lets you adjust colors in three specific ways. You can:

Change color hues. You can make the reds more orange, the purples more pink, or the blues more green.
Change color saturation. You can make the blues more faded or the reds more intense.
Change color luminance. You can brighten up the greens, darken down the blues, or brighten up the yellows.

When you’re just starting out, I’d recommend simply experimenting with the different sliders until you get an effect that you like, but here are a few ideas to try:

Remove all the cool colors from an image for a warm, cinematic look
Saturate the color of the main subject while desaturating the colors in the background
Push several different colors in the same direction for a simpler color palette (and a more harmonious result)

This image, for instance, features a warm color palette (which can be achieved by desaturating blues, greens, and magentas:

2. Try the automatic slider adjustments

Sometimes, it can be hard to know how to start (or continue) a Lightroom edit.

In such cases, I recommend a simple little trick:

Hold down the Shift key, then double click on the sliders in the Basic panel. Lightroom will analyze your image, then apply adjustments automatically.

No, the edits won’t always be perfect, but they often look nice – and if you hate the result, you can always double-click on the slider name to set it back to zero. Plus, you can always use the automatic settings as starting points, then edit from there.

By the way, if you want to see all of Lightroom’s automatic edits at once, just click the Auto button above the Exposure slider:

It’ll instantly adjust the sliders in the Basic panel!

Now, these automatic adjustments don’t work for all Lightroom sliders. They won’t work outside the Basic panel, and they won’t work on the Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze sliders.

But you can use it to automatically adjust the white balance, the exposure, the contrast, and even the saturation – so why not give it a try and see what you think?

3. Use the clipping masks (or the clipping warnings)

Clipping refers to a loss of detail in the highlights and/or the shadows of an image – and in general, clipping is pretty bad.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell whether you’re actually clipping details while editing, and it’s possible to exacerbate clipping issues by pushing your sliders too far without realizing it. You can always keep an eye on the histogram, but it can be difficult to interpret, especially for beginners.

Fortunately, Lightroom has a solution: The clipping masks, which clearly indicate clipping in real-time.

Before you adjust the Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, or Blacks slider, simply hold down the Alt/Opt key. Then, when you increase or decrease the sliders, you’ll see a white or a black overlay, like this:

A mask that reveals zero clipping will be all white or all black. But a mask that shows some clipping will change colors over the problem areas:

(Note that, when adjusting the Blacks or the Shadows, clipping is indicated as color on white. On the other hand, when adjusting the Exposure, the Whites, or the Highlights, clipping is indicated as color on black.)

As long as you have no clipping, you’re good to go – but as soon as you start to see a loss of detail, you’ll want to dial back the intensity of your edits. Make sense?

One more quick Lightroom tip: If you want to identify clipping but you don’t want to spend time looking at the masks, you can always click the arrows at the top of the histogram:

This will activate the clipping indicators, which will cause clipped shadows to turn blue and clipped highlights to turn red:

4. Use the copy-paste shortcut to speed up your workflow

Say you’re editing a large volume of photos from an event, a wedding, or a portrait photoshoot. You need to move through the photos quickly, so you don’t want to edit each file individually.

You could create presets, but each one takes time to produce, and if the presets are photoshoot-specific, you may never use them again.

Instead, why not use Lightroom’s copy-paste option?

You see, after you edit an image, you can always select Edit>Copy (or press Ctrl/Cmd+C). A window will pop up, asking you which settings you want to copy:

Then, once you’ve chosen the relevant settings, select your to-be-edited photos, then choose Edit>Paste (or press Ctrl/Cmd+V).

The settings from your original photo will be pasted onto the selected images, and your editing work will be done!

This can be a great way to handle complex photoshoots. For instance, if you captured images in multiple types of light, you might edit the first front-lit image, copy the settings, and paste them across all the remaining frontlit images. You could do the same for the backlit images, the shaded images, and so on – and if you require even more control over your results, you can make slight adjustments to your settings as you go, then copy again and paste as required.

I do have one recommendation, though:

Even if you think you’ve done a successful copy-paste job, quickly go through the edited images and make sure everything looks okay. You don’t want to send images to a client, only to realize that you cropped all the files by accident!

5. Use Lightroom’s local adjustment tools

Lightroom offers a handful local adjustment options – referred to as masking tools – and they are insanely powerful. You can find them toward the top of the editing panels, just underneath the histogram:

Unlike global adjustments, which affect the entire image, local adjustments only change a portion of a file.

So while you can brighten up an entire image using the Exposure slider, you can brighten up just the foreground using a local adjustment; while you can sharpen the entire image using Lightroom’s Detail sliders, you can sharpen only the main subject using a local adjustment. They’re a great way to create fine-grained, detailed edits that add depth, enhance color, and push the viewer’s eye toward the main subject.

I like to use local adjustments for all sorts of things, but here are a few ideas:

Use a Radial Gradient to add a vignette (i.e., a darkening effect) around the edges of the frame
Use a Radial Gradient to boost the exposure of the main subject
Use a Linear Gradient to decrease the exposure and increase the contrast in the sky
Use a Linear Gradient to darken the foreground

Linear Gradient on the foreground Lightroom tips — Here, a Linear Gradient is being applied to the image foreground.

Really, when it comes to local adjustments, the sky is the limit. Feel free to use the suggestions I provided above, but also make sure you experiment. That way, you’ll get a deep sense of how the masking tools work and what they can do for your photos!

Lightroom tips and tricks: final words

Well, there you have it:

Five tips to take your Lightroom editing to the next level.

So try out these suggestions. See how you like them. And let us know in the comments how they work out!

The post 5 Lightroom Tips and Tricks (to Revolutionize Your Editing) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kunal Malhotra.

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Wednesday 29 June 2022

Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide

The post Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

the ultimate guide to bird photography settings

Want to capture amazing bird photos? Then you absolutely need to master your camera settings.

Settings determine whether your bird photos look blurry or sharp, well-exposed or lacking details – in my experience, they’re often the difference between a great shot and a mediocre one.

I’ve been photographing birds for over a decade, and in this article, I share my favorite bird photography settings, including:

The shutter speed you need to keep your bird shots sharp
The best camera mode for well-exposed bird images
The best aperture for bird photography
The perfect autofocus mode for consistently in-focus photos
Much more!

By the time you finish reading, you’ll know how to capture beautiful images of birds perching and birds in flight. Let’s dive right in, starting with the basics:

1. Use Aperture Priority mode to set your exposure

First things first:

If you want to create beautiful bird photos, you must make sure they’re well exposed. In other words, you need to choose the right aperture, shutter speed, and ISO – the three exposure-triangle variables – to create a bright, detailed photo.

Technically, you can select your exposure variables using Manual mode. You dial in each setting with the help of your camera exposure bar (displayed at the bottom of the viewfinder), and you end up with a solid exposure.

But working in Manual mode is slow, and birds are fast. If you stick to Manual mode, you’ll end up missing too many shots while you’re fiddling with your camera dials.

Instead, I recommend you use Aperture Priority mode, which lets you select an aperture and an ISO, while the camera selects a shutter speed based on its evaluation of the ambient light.

Simply dial in an aperture and an ISO value (more on that later on!), then let your camera pick the right shutter speed. You’ll want to check your results frequently, and if your camera starts to underexpose or overexpose your the images, you’ll need to address the issue with positive or negative exposure compensation, respectively.

You’ll also need to make sure your shutter speed doesn’t drop too low, as I discuss in the next section:

2. Choose a shutter speed of at least 1/500s (and probably faster)

If you want to capture sharp bird photos, then you need a fast shutter speed. Birds are generally full of energy, so a too-slow shutter speed will ruin your shots with motion blur.

How fast is fast enough?

Unfortunately, there’s no single ideal shutter speed. Relatively stationary birds – such as a cardinal on a branch – require much slower shutter speeds than birds in flight. And bigger birds tend to be slower than smaller birds, so you can often get away with slower shutter speeds when photographing, say, a swan (versus a tiny chickadee, which hops around like a bolt of lightning).

That said, here are a few recommendations:

If you’re photographing a motionless bird (for instance, a bird that’s sleeping or standing still), use a shutter speed of at least 1/500s, especially if you’re working with a telephoto lens. The 1/500s speed may not be strictly necessary to freeze the bird, but it’ll help compensate for camera shake.
If you’re shooting a small bird that’s moving slowly (e.g., preening) or a big bird that’s moving at a slow to medium speed, around 1/1000s is a good choice.
If you’re shooting a fast-moving bird, including a bird in flight, you should choose a shutter speed of at least 1/2000s. If the bird is flying at high speeds, then 1/2500s, 1/3200s, or even 1/4000s is even better.

Now, you might be wondering: Why can’t I just crank up my shutter speed to 1/4000s and leave it there?

Unfortunately, every shutter speed boost comes with a cost. The higher the shutter speed, the darker the resulting exposure (or, if you’re using Aperture Priority, the more you’ll need to increase your ISO, which causes other problems). So unless the light is extremely bright, you’ll often need to keep the shutter speed at my recommended amounts and no higher.

3. Use the lowest ISO you can afford for noise-free photos

If you’ve followed the bird photography settings recommendations I’ve given above, then your camera should be set to Aperture Priority mode.

And in Aperture Priority, you can’t actually choose your shutter speed. But you can adjust the shutter speed indirectly by raising and lowering your ISO.

You see, the ISO refers to the camera’s sensitivity to light, so if you raise the ISO (i.e., brighten the exposure) while in Aperture Priority mode, the camera will compensate by boosting the shutter speed (i.e., darken the exposure).

That’s why it’s important to monitor your shutter speed as you work. If it gets too low, you can boost the ISO, which will force your camera to increase the shutter speed. Make sense?

Unfortunately, ISO comes with a big downside: The higher the ISO, the more noise you’ll get in your photos, and the worse they’ll look. So while you should definitely increase your ISO if the shutter speed drops below my recommended values, you should keep it as low as possible otherwise.

the ultimate guide to bird photography settings little blue heron

4. Use an aperture that’s wide (but not too wide)

As I emphasized above, Aperture Priority allows you to dial in an aperture and an ISO, while your camera selects the shutter speed. And if you select a wide aperture, the camera-chosen shutter speed will be faster.

Therefore, many beginner bird photographers select their lens’s maximum aperture (often f/4 or f/5.6) in order to keep the shutter speed as high as possible. (A wide aperture also produces beautiful background bokeh.)

This isn’t a terrible strategy, but here’s the problem: As you widen the aperture, images become softer and you lose depth of field (i.e., the amount of the scene that’s in focus). If you go too wide, your subject’s legs and body will start to blur.

In my view, every bird photo should have a sharp head and (at the very least) a sharp front leg. If you’re photographing a bird in flight, you’ll want to keep portions of the wings sharp, too. But in most situations, your lens’s widest aperture just isn’t enough.

So instead of selecting a wide-open aperture such as f/4 or f/5.6, stop down a little. You’ll still get decent bokeh at f/6.3 or f/7.1, and you’ll also get enough depth of field to keep the bird’s body sharp.

5. Use back-button focus to capture tack-sharp photos

Back-button focus is one of the most useful camera features you’ll ever encounter. Here’s why:

Back-button autofocus lets you control your camera’s focus via a button on the camera’s back (sometimes labeled AF-ON). Rather than pressing the shutter button halfway to focus, then pressing the rest of the way to capture a shot, back-button focus allows you to separate the two functions, so that:

The shutter button is used for taking pictures.

And the AF-ON button is used for focusing.

This is invaluable if you want to focus and recompose, then track a moving subject, then focus and recompose again.

You’ll want to make sure you’ve set your autofocus mode to AI-Servo, also known as AF-C. Then, if you press and hold the AF-ON button, it’ll activate the continuous autofocus, which will track a moving subject.

But once you let go of the AF-ON button, the autofocus will lock in place.

So if you come upon a bird that’s moving, you can track it by holding down the AF-ON button. As soon as the bird stops moving, you can let go of the AF-ON button and test out different compositions, knowing that the focus won’t change.

The ibis in the photo below was moving along the water’s edge – then it stopped. I held the AF-ON button until my lens focused on the eye, then I let go and reframed.

the ultimate guide to bird photography settings white ibis portrait

That’s the power of back-button focus!

To set up back-button autofocus does take a bit of fiddling with settings (and it changes from camera to camera). So take a look in your camera’s manual (or do a bit of Googling!) and get it set up.

6. Use continuous shooting to nail the action photos

Birds are full of life, which means that there are plenty of opportunities for action shots: Birds flying through the air, birds diving into the water, birds capturing fish.

But if you’re not prepared, it’s easy to miss those prize-winning images. After all, birds move fast!

And that’s where continuous shooting comes in handy.

These days, pretty much every camera has a continuous shooting mode. This allows you to fire off a burst of photos, generally between 5 frames per second and 30 frames per second. And you can use it to capture split-second moments.

So whenever you go out to do bird photography, switch over to continuous shooting. And then, when the action heats up, start shooting bursts rather than single shots.

That’s what I did for the little blue heron scene displayed below. When the bird began to hunt, I started shooting in bursts, so I could be sure to get sharp shots with the beak near the water:

Will you get a lot of throwaway images? Sure. But you’ll also have a much better chance of getting the perfect image. To my mind, it’s absolutely worth it.

You do want to be careful, however, because your camera’s buffer can fill up quickly. When that happens, you won’t be able to shoot bursts until the camera has processed some of the images. So be mindful of your camera’s buffer, and don’t overshoot. Got it?

Bird photography settings: final words

Choosing the best settings for bird photography may seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

Just remember the settings that I’ve shared. You’ll be capturing amazing photos in no time!

Bird Photography

The post Bird Photography Settings: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Tuesday 28 June 2022

The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022)

The post The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Every few months, we publish a list of popular gear based on what our readers buy on Amazon.* This is our latest list of the most popular digital cameras!

As with our popular lenses list, this digital camera list has traditionally been dominated by Canon and Nikon cameras. But their reign seems to be over; Sony has well and truly joined them thanks to an amazing lineup of digital cameras.

This time around, we’re going to share the top five most popular digital cameras (including both mirrorless and DSLR models). We’ll then provide comprehensive lists featuring the most popular models from each main manufacturer.

The (overall) most popular digital cameras

Below, we feature the top five most popular models:

1. Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera

The Canon EOS Rebel T7 tops our popular camera list for a few reasons.

First, it’s a Canon camera, so it comes with a name that everyone knows and respects.

Second, its price is hard to beat: the T7 costs under $500 – including an 18-55mm kit lens.

The T7 is a great choice for anyone new to photography looking for their first camera. And while there are cameras with better specifications (many of which are on this list), the T7 gives you a 24 MP APS-C sensor, a built-in flash, 1080p video, and 3 frames-per-second continuous shooting. You can even use it as a webcam!

See the current price of the Canon T7 (with a kit lens) here.

Buying recommendation: If you have a few hundred extra dollars to spend, we would recommend the Canon EOS Rebel T8i. It’s a couple of years younger than the T7 and comes with some upgraded specs.

2. Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a7 IV couldn’t be more different from the T7, yet it’s a very worthy #2. In fact, it only sold one fewer unit than the T7. (Also, the dPS founder just picked up this very camera!)

And while it has a steep price tag, its specifications reveal why.

This is the fourth-generation model in the a7 lineup, and it comes with a 33 MP full-frame sensor, 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting, 4K/60p video, 5-axis optical image stabilization, 759 autofocus points, eye tracking for humans, animals, and birds, and so much more.

If you’re looking for a true hybrid camera, you can’t go wrong with the Sony a7 IV.

See the current price of the Sony a7 IV here.

Buying recommendation: If you don’t have the budget for the a7 IV, check out the Sony a7 III. It’s the a7 IV’s predecessor and is still available (with a very comparable set of specifications).

3. Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera

Canon has been making real inroads with their R-series mirrorless cameras as of late, so it is no surprise to see an EOS R model on our list of popular cameras.

The Canon EOS R6 may not have features that are quite as spectacular as its Canon EOS R5 sibling, but its specifications are very respectable. It’s a great choice for enthusiasts who want a camera with both video and photo capabilities.

It has a 20 MP full-frame sensor, in-body stabilization, 20 FPS continuous shooting with the electronic shutter and 12 FPS continuous shooting with mechanical shutter, 4K/60p video, and much more.

See the current price of the Canon EOS R6 here.

Buying recommendations: Canon is quickly expanding their R-series lineup. If you have a larger budget, check out the already-released EOS R5 and EOS R3. Also, note that, at the time of writing, Canon has announced a few other cameras, including the R7 and the R10 (both of which cost less than the EOS R6 and are due out this summer).

4. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera

You could do a lot worse than to head out on assignment with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV hanging around your neck.

While the 5D Mark IV is the oldest camera in our top 5 (it launched back in late 2016), 5D cameras have featured on our popular digital camera lists since the original 5D launched way back in 2005.

5D models have been used by many millions of enthusiasts and professionals. The Mark IV has a 30.4 MP full-frame sensor, a 61-point AF system, 7 FPS continuous shooting, and 4K video. As a stills camera, the 5D Mark IV holds up very well. In fact, we know a number of pros who still use the 5D Mark IV as their primary camera.

See the current price of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV here.

5. Sony a6600 Mirrorless Camera

Sony’s APS-C camera lineup has always been impressive, and the a6600 is the current top option. This camera is small but packs quite a punch, and it’s great for both still and video content creators.

It comes with a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor, human and animal eye detection, 4K video, 425 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection AF points, and image stabilization.

See the current price of the Sony a6600 here.

Buying recommendation: Don’t have the budget for the a6600? Check out Sony’s exceptional a6400 and the newer Sony ZV-E10. (The latter is emerging as a popular camera for vloggers and content creators.)

Most popular Sony digital cameras

Sony has dominated the mirrorless camera market for the past few years, so it’s not surprising that they were bearly beaten by Canon as the most popular manufacturer among our readers.

Sony’s offerings largely fall into two categories: full-frame mirrorless cameras (including the a7, a7R, a7S, a9, and a1 ranges), and APS-C mirrorless cameras.

While Canon has been rapidly expanding their mirrorless lineup, what still sets Sony apart is the company’s amazing range of both all-around and specialist cameras.

Here are the 10 most popular Sony digital cameras among our readers. We’ve also noted the purpose of the more specialized options.

Sony a7 IV Mirrorless Camera (All-around Hybrid)
Sony a6600 Mirrorless Camera
Sony a7 III Mirrorless Camera (All-around Hybrid)
Sony a6400 Mirrorless Camera
Sony a7R IV Mirrorless Camera (High Resolution)
Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera (Video/Low Light)
Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera (Vlogging)
Sony a9 II Mirrorless Camera (Sports/Journalism)
Sony a7C Mirrorless Camera (Compact Hybrid)
Sony a6100 Mirrorless Camera

Sony’s only main camera missing from this list is the amazing (but expensive) flagship model, the Sony a1. It’s quite possibly the best camera on the market today, but it struggles on the “popular camera” list due to its price.

Most popular Nikon digital cameras

Nikon is a much-loved manufacturer among our readers. Over the last couple of years, however, we’ve slowly seen a decrease in the number of people buying Nikon cameras.

Interestingly, we haven’t noticed as steep a decline in the number of Nikon lenses purchased by readers (as you can see on our popular lens list).

Nikon does continue to release mirrorless cameras, so we’ll hopefully see them bounce back over the next few years.

In the meantime, here are the most popular Nikon digital cameras among our readers:

Other popular digital cameras

The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022)

While Sony is definitely a major contender for the most popular camera manufacturer, we’ve also seen other manufacturers produce some popular cameras this past quarter. As always, Fujifilm and Panasonic have a few models that are much loved by our readers.

Interestingly, the most popular product is a $2500 camera that is – at the time of writing – yet to be released. In fact, if it were made by Nikon, it would have come in at #2 on Nikon’s list.

Here are the rankings:

*These popular camera lists were compiled from reports supplied to us by Amazon and other sites where we are affiliates.

One of the ways we are able to cover dPS’s costs and remain a sustainable business is by earning a small commission when readers make a purchase after clicking on our article links (including the links used above).

It adds nothing to the cost of the product but gives us a small kickback to help cover our server, design, developer, and editorial costs.

Thanks for your continued support. We hope you find this popular camera list helpful when you consider your own purchases.

The post The Most Popular Digital Cameras (in 2022) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

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Sunday 26 June 2022

Xiaomi 12 Ultra Specs Leaked Ahead Of Rumored July Launch Event https://www.digit.in vasan.gs@9dot9.in (G. S. Vasan) Xiaomi could launch the Ultra model of the Xiaomi 12 series on July 5, 2022, in China. At least that’s what the rumors (via Trak.in) suggest. Well, the rumor mill has also churned out the possible specifications of the phone such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, 120Hz AMOLED screen, Android 12-based MIUI 13 software, and 120W charging support, among other things. Xiaomi 12 Ultra Specs and Features (Expected) Xiaomi could arm the 12 Ultra with a 6.6-inch 120Hz curved AMOLED panel on the front, very likely with a punch hole. On the back, the phone could carry a quartet comprising of a 50MP Sony IMX989 primary sensor, a 48MP ultrawide snapper, and two periscope zoom camera lenses. Inside, the Xiaomi 12 Ultra could bear a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a 5000mAh battery (with 120W fast charging support), up to 12GB RAM, and 512GB storage. The software on top could be MIUI 13 based on Android 12. As for other news, reviews, feature stories, buying guides, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in. https://ift.tt/vLg5qft June 27, 2022 at 11:20AM

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10 Nature Photography Ideas (for Easy Inspiration)

The post 10 Nature Photography Ideas (for Easy Inspiration) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Karen Quist.

Stuck in a creative rut? Don’t worry.

In this article, I share 10 inspirational nature photography ideas, which include plenty of subjects you can find in your own backyard. The ideas are simple, but don’t let that fool you; many of the best nature shots are taken with the most basic of subjects.

(I also offer plenty of nature photo examples. That way, as you go along, you can see the potential each idea offers!)

Let’s dive right in, starting with:

1. Flowers and leaves

nature photography ideas orchid — Cymbidium orchid | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro | 1/100 sec | f/4 | ISO 640

If you’re looking for the perfect backyard nature photography idea, then consider shooting flowers and leaves.

As you’re likely well aware, flowers and leaves are everywhere, and they offer an endless variety of colors, shapes, and textures for you to photograph.

You could create a collection of shots based on a single color scheme, or you could experiment with different compositions by photographing as many different leaf or flower shapes as possible.

nature photography ideas — Violet leaves | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro | 1/30 sec | f/8 | ISO 800

And try working with different lighting directions. Head out in the evening when the sun is low in the sky, then try to take some beautiful backlit shots that emphasize flower details and leaf veins:

backlit daffodils — Erlicheer daffodils | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro | 1/640 sec | f/4 | ISO 100

backlit leaves — Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro | 1/250 sec | f/4 | ISO 100

Then adjust your angle until you get some nice front light, which will help describe the subject in all its glory:

Flowers are seasonal, and in temperate zones, spring and summer offer the widest variety of subjects. There are still flowers to be found in winter, although you may need to look harder. Don’t be afraid to photograph dead flowers, and don’t forget that weeds, such as dandelions, are also beautiful!

As for leaves, you can shoot them year-round, though autumn does provide the best color spectrum.

2. Fruit, berries, and seed pods

When the summer flowers disappear, fruits and berries are nature’s way of providing for birds and animals throughout the colder months. And these subjects can provide plenty of opportunities for photographers, too!

Many berries and seed pods ripen toward the end of autumn, and they can look great when shot against leafy backdrops.

And in the winter, you can photograph red berries against white snow. Make sure to choose your exposure carefully as snow-filled scenes can cause problems for camera meters.

You can also photograph acorns, pine cones, and nuts. I’d recommend shooting cloudy days, which will help you emphasize lots of intricate details:

3. Water droplets

Photographers love to photograph raindrops on window panes, but did you know that it’s possible to combine the beauty of raindrops with the lush, verdant hues of nature?

Simply wait until a rain storm ends, grab a macro lens (or your closest-focusing lens), and head outside. Get low to the ground, and carefully observe leaves and grass for water droplets:

Make sure to keep the background uncluttered to avoid drawing attention away from the droplets. Try shooting with a wider aperture and adjusting your angle to create distance between the droplets and the background. Both of these techniques will increase background blur, which will deemphasize distracting features and create a beautiful bokeh effect!

droplets on sticks — Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro | 1/125 sec | f/4 | ISO 640

4. Mushrooms, toadstools, and fungi

Mushrooms are ugly photo subjects, right? Not necessarily!

You see, while mushrooms might seem ugly at first glance, once you spend time studying them, you’ll find plenty of hidden beauty worth capturing.

You’ll generally need a macro lens – most mushrooms are tiny, after all! – and you’ll need to be prepared to get down in the dirt for the best images.

These mushrooms looked boring, but when I flattened myself against the ground and found the right light, they suddenly became interesting:

When is the best time to go mushroom hunting? I’d recommend heading out in autumn and winter, though you can also find good subjects just after a spring or summer rain. Look in damp, mossy places, on the sides of trees, and in log piles.

My personal favorites are the red toadstools with white speckles. They are evocative of fairy tales and magic, and their colors are incredible:

5. Shoot up and down

Don’t just photograph the nature subjects right in front of you; instead, go for a walk in the woods, and make sure you spend plenty of time looking up into the sky and down at the ground.

You can create beautiful tree-canopy images using a wide-angle lens:

tree against blue sky looking up — Sigma 35mm ART lens | 1/60 sec | f/11 | ISO 160

And you can have lots of fun just lying on the ground, shooting up at the branches. Bonus: It can be pretty relaxing!

Also, when photographing upward, notice how the light changes from early morning into late afternoon and evening. Branches contrast beautifully against a blue sky, and their look is in constant flux depending on the lighting.

Clouds can make beautiful subjects, too. Look for vertical cloud formations, white fluffy clouds, and those lovely soft colors around the edge of the clouds at dusk and dawn.

You can also turn your attention downward. The ground features a million microcosms; look among the moss, around the lawn, between paving stones, and in the fallen bark and leaves. Lie flat on your stomach and peer into another world. And don’t forget that close-up lens!

6. Black and white beauty

When we think about nature photography, we often imagine bright colors and stunning sunsets…

…but it’s possible to create beautiful black and white nature photos, so you definitely shouldn’t dismiss the idea.

Nature provides sculptural shapes and contrasting textures that make great black and white subjects. For instance, you can photograph succulents and cacti in harsh light, then watch as they become artistic abstracts after a quick black and white conversion.

Smooth pebbles, rough bark, snail shells, acorns, and pine cones all look fabulous in black and white, too. Look for intense, directional lighting, and don’t be afraid to push the contrast in editing:

7. Experiment with sun flare and haze

Nature photographers often obsess over perfect technique, but the truth is that you can capture stunning photos by embracing, rather than avoiding, issues like sun flare and haze.

Simply find subjects that are backlit – such as tree canopies in the middle of the day, or flowers at sunset – and capture some shots. Each time you take a photo, be sure to review it on your camera LCD to see whether you like the effect (it can be pretty hit and miss, but over time, you’ll get better at predicting your results).

It can often help to position the sun in the frame or just outside of it. You might also try positioning the main subject so the sun peeks out from behind its edges.

And for the strongest flare effects, make sure to remove your lens hood. That’s how I captured this image:

8. Snails, bugs, and spiders

This nature photography idea is one that you can follow from your backyard (or even from inside your house!).

Simply hunt around for spiders, ants, centipedes, bees, dragonflies, caterpillars, moths, butterflies, and snails. Then, when you find them, get down low, get close, and capture some amazing shots!

I’d recommend using a longer lens; that way, you can avoid scaring the subjects (and you can avoid getting too close yourself!).

And for especially creative shots, make sure to play around with different apertures and lighting effects.

9. Birds and other wildlife

I’m going to be honest:

Compared to flower and leaf photography, wildlife and bird photography is hard.

For one, it requires specialized gear. The longer your lens, the better – and 300mm is generally considered a wildlife photography minimum.

Plus, it requires a lot of patience. You can spend long minutes or even hours waiting for subjects that never seem to appear.

If you’re willing to put in the money and effort, however, capturing wildlife and birds can be a lot of fun!

I’d recommend doing some research into local wildlife hotspots. Then head out with your longest lens during the early morning and late evening. See what you can find.

Make sure you keep your shutter speed fast enough to freeze any action, and be sure to set your camera to its fastest burst mode setting.

If you like the idea of bird photography but you don’t want to spend tons of time searching for subjects, consider creating a feeder setup in your backyard. Then add a perch or two, and – voila! – you can capture stunning bird photos from your kitchen window.

10. Portraits in nature

Nature photography doesn’t have to feature only nature. It’s possible to combine nature scenes and human subjects for beautiful images:

Scout around for potential backgrounds. Look for a bank of flowers, a bed of autumn leaves, or just a green hedge.

Then wait until the light is right (a cloudy day is generally safe!), take your subject to the location, and do a fun photoshoot!

Pro tip: If you plan to shoot in a location with lots of colors, such as flowers or autumn leaves, pay attention to your subject’s outfit. Pick simple clothing without eye-catching patterns:

Nature photography ideas: final words

So there you have it:

Plenty of ideas for beautiful nature photos!

So no matter the seasons, get outside with your camera and try an idea or two!

Which of these ideas do you plan to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Nature Photography