Common Mistakes in Nature Photography

Have you ever gone over the pictures from an outdoor vacation and thought that they really just didn't capture the moments the way you remember them? That sunset or view from the cliff was so breathtaking in person, but your pictures are so disappointing. What happened? Chances are you made any one of some common mistakes in nature photography and lost the moment. Don't get overwhelmed; we can tell you what those common mistakes are and how to correct them quickly and easily.

Color and Contrast

Probably one of the things you're trying to capture with your nature photography is those brilliant colors you find in nature. Whether it's a gorgeous sunset or the colors of autumn, those colors are absolutely amazing and you really want to take them home with you by way of your pictures. However, it's a common mistake in nature photography to concentrate so much on the colors or to want to capture them that you don't give much thought as to how they'll look in the picture versus real life. If you take a picture of one particular element or subject that's all the same color, chances are it will translate to just a jumble of those colors in the photo. Think of a jigsaw puzzle and how the photos used for the puzzle are typically a big mess of one or two dominant colors. This is done purposely to make the puzzle more difficult, however, it doesn't always make for a pleasing photo when it comes to nature photography.

To improve your nature photography, be sure to have your dominant colors offset by another element in the photo. If it's a shot of the autumn foliage you want to capture, try an angle that gets a hill or field in the shot as well, or anything that will break up all those colorful leaves. If you're trying to capture the sunset, be sure to get some landscape as well so your photo is not just a mess of orange and red with no real perspective.

Angles

Too often people take pictures, including their nature photography, by planting their main subject in the exact middle of the picture. Think of trying to capture a picture of a tree overhanging a cliff. If the tree is in the center of the photo, you don't really get a feel for the contrast of the tree versus the vastness of the cliff. But if you move over a few feet and angle the shot so that the tree is off to one side, you can get more of the cliff in the picture as well, and you get a real feeling for the entire experience. This is a good thing to remember for any type of nature photography, whether it's landscapes or wildlife. Move your camera directly over the subject, or crouch down and get a shot going up, or move over to one side. By putting your subject anyplace but the exact center of the photo, you'll be able to capture the elements that much more.