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How-To

10 Tips For The Lowdown On Nature

Journey into a world of nature that isn't often seen at this level

Are you part of nature or simply an outside observer? That’s an interesting question for a nature photographer to consider, and the answer affects how one approaches outdoor photography.

This past winter, I attended the North American Nature Photography Association meeting (www.nanpa.org—a great organization for nature photographers). Between meetings, I was struck by an overheard discussion between a couple of photographers. They talked about nature as if it was something quite separate from who they were. Nature photography, for them, was a quest and something to "accomplish."

Now, I understand that everyone has a different approach to nature. As long as we all support the protection of the environment that gives us our subjects, I’ll go along with that. Personally, I want a more intimate, down-and-dirty approach to nature. I get out the wide-angle lens, set it to a close-focusing distance, then get down and into the natural world—and I mean into it.

The result is a different view of the smaller parts of nature. I feel part of nature; plus this approach lets me show off flowers, bugs and other small subjects as part of a larger world—it’s like giving them an environmental portrait as flattering as that of a CEO in an annual report. I want to bring the viewer into this world through the photograph.

I started doing this sort of work when I bought my first 24mm lens a long time ago. And when digital cameras came out with swivel or tilting LCDs, I was excited by the prospects—you could actually see through the lens by using the live LCD and you didn’t have to lie on the ground for a low-angle shot.

A live LCD is extremely helpful for getting down into nature. It lets you see exactly what the lens sees because it’s being fed by the actual sensor in the camera. In a digital SLR, the camera’s mirror blocks the sensor until exposure, so no live LCD is possible (except for a couple of cameras).

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