Taking Fantastic Nature Photographs

Many people spend much of their time outdoors and active. And what better way to remember those moments then to take a few pictures. There are a few things that you can do to capture the moment exactly as you see it.

Manual Zoom Digital zoom is great but when used fully can cause pixelation. Making your images look grainy, not sharp. Plus with manual zoom often comes interchangeable lenses. Having a verity of lenses means you have more opportunity to capture photos. You don't have to be close, just use a 300mm lens and you can get wonderful crisp close ups without being near your subject.

Tripods A tripod is a wonderful tool that can make a picture come out brighter and sharper. When using a heavy lens its always best to put your camera on a tripod to minimize shake for focused and clear images. If you don't have a tripod you can improvise. Set your camera down on something solid to take the photo. Such as a rock or log. Using a timer is also useful to minimize shake.

Lenses- Having a good quality lens really does make a difference in your images. Interchangeable lenses mean you can capture a verity of images from close and far. Having a wide angle lens, as well as a macro and a telescopic lens mean that you can get a wide array of images.

Have multiple Shutter Speeds Things can change in an instant, using a fast shutter speed will ensure that your images are captured quickly and sharp. However perhaps you are photographing a waterfall or river and wish it to have a dream like quality, Then using a slow shutter speed as well as a tripod can get the results you want. For a beginner using a fast shutter speed is easiest and best.

Experiment Try many different angles of the same subject. Lay down on your back and take a photo of a tree looking up. Get eye level with a mushroom. Think perspective. How big is the object in relation to others around it. Can you make that object look bigger, smaller? Can you take the photo and give someone else the idea of what size it really is?

Research If your going on vacation you look up the hot-spots to visit. Photography is the same. Know what animals live in the area, what plants. Know the habits of the animals in the area. You don't want to come on a bear unexpectedly, although it could make for some fantastic photos. Know rules and regulations of areas that you visit. For example one area i frequent doesn't allow of the removal of plant or animal life, and you must stay on their trails

Details Details can make or break a photo. Sure that lake is pretty, but what makes it more interesting? The mirror image of the mountain behind it? the reflection of a blade of grass? Fish swimming under the water? A flower is nice to look at, but the colors and patterns make it much more so. Or the area in which it grows. A lovely flower in the middle of a swamp is a splash of color on green. Think detail.

Patience It may take several trips to the spot in order to capture the image you see in your head. Some things are simple luck, you may happen on a bear hunting fish in the woods. Or you might know the bears often gather there and go specifically for the reason. It may take several visits to see what you hope to find. This also ties in with researching what you are looking for

Contrast Look for high contrast objects near each other. A red and orange mushroom against the dark green foliage is a stunning image. A deep green tree next to a lake or river. Photographing contrasting objects is more interesting then a monotoned image.

Take lots of pictures- With the technology of digital cameras you now have the ability to take your photo, see it, and delete it if you need to. Take as many photos as you have time for. Take at least 5 or more pictures of each subject before moving on to ensure you have captured a good clear image. Ive been known to take 50 or more pictures of the same subject only to be satisfied by one picture and deleting the rest. On the same tone, review your images on a computer and not your camera. The pictures on the camera are often distorted a bit making it unclear if the image is a good one or not. - A good photograph cant take time and effort to put together

And above all, never leave home without your camera.

So remember the next time you see something breath taking image that you want to remember forever. Grab your camera, set it on the tripod and start clicking. Don't worry about taking too many photos just take them. In the end you may have taken 30 or more images, But you will have one fantastic photograph.Moments only happen once in a lifetime and you want to be able to remember them.