Published: 29 January 2025
Whether woodland, beach, garden, or deer park, if you enjoy walking, there’s always something to see, regardless of the season. Photography is one of the best ways to capture memories, but it can be tricky taking photos when you’re out in nature. The light levels change rapidly. Wildlife has a tendency to move, and it’s not always easy to know how to frame the best shot. here are a few of our favourite tips for capturing photographs worth keeping when you’re out and about in nature.
Top Tips for Taking Nature Photography
Think about lighting
Talk to any nature photographer, and they’ll tell you about the power of the golden hour. In the early morning and late afternoon, natural light is at its warmest. It’s soft and diffused, which can make for the most stunning landscapes. However, while the golden hour (just after sunrise and just before sunset) offers the best lighting, it’s not the only time to go for a walk! And you can get incredible pictures throughout the day if you just think about lighting. High noon can be too bright for landscapes, but it’s perfect for macro shots. While shadows and silhouettes can add depth and texture to the right image.
Consider composition
Most photographers work with the rule of thirds. In other words, mentally separate your composition into three vertical and horizontal sections, creating nine equal parts. By placing your point of focus in one of the designated thirds, you can create depth, maximise the potential of negative space, and make the image feel more balanced.
Look at the little things
Nature photography doesn’t have to be about sweeping landscapes or spectacular wildlife. Sometimes it’s the smallest details that make the perfect shot. Whether that’s a micro mushroom on the bark of a tree, moss growing on a rock, a drop of dew caught in the flowers of a petal, or the texture of a seed head. Anything can be beautiful or interesting if you look at it from the right angle.
Be curious
The more interested you are in your subject matter, the more likely you are to capture an interesting photo. So, be prepared to observe and learn. If you’re not sure about something, go home and research it. Then come back and try again when you know what time of day the sun will hit that feature, when this creature will be most active, whether this tree comes into blossom and when the best time to see it might be.
Try action shots
Successful wildlife photography is often about speed. We’ve all experienced the frustration of a captured blur as a bird, butterfly, or even a family pet has failed to stop and pose! But that’s where shutter speed comes into play. In most cases, for wildlife, a faster shutter speed (1/1000 or higher) will be beneficial. By increasing your shutter speed, you are helping your camera to react more quickly, enabling you to capture creatures in motion.
Play with your settings
If you’re not an experienced photographer, you may well stick to an automatic point-and-shoot camera. But if you are able to adjust your settings, you can sometimes achieve better results. We’ve already discussed shutter speed. But how about aperture and ISO? Setting your camera to use a smaller aperture (higher f-number) when taking landscape photos, it becomes easier to keep the entire scene in focus. While for the sharpest images, it’s a good idea to keep your ISO low – unless you are in a low light situation.
Experiment with colour
Colours react against each other, creating visual magic. So, before you take a photo of something, think about what’s in the background. Can you make that sunflower pop by positioning yourself to capture it against the blue sky? Would that field of wheat look more striking if you captured more of the brooding grey sky? Thinking about colours can change the way your photographs look.
Photographs are really the only acceptable souvenir to take home from a good walk. So, if you’re going to go to the effort of taking photos when you’re out and about, enjoying our amazing countryside, you may as well take the time to do it properly.
The Holker Hall gardens reopen to the public from Friday March 21st 2025.