Nature photography requires all the usual camera skills, so knowing how to use your camera is important. But really good nature photography also requires sensitivity to nature.
Have you ever met someone who has thousands of dollars worth of equipment, can talk all day about cameras and lenses…but still takes lousy pictures? These people don’t understand that good photographers are not judged by the equipment they use, but by their results. Of course, technical knowledge is important, but it will only take you so far.
When it comes to nature photography, it’s essential to understand how natural light can transform the impact of a photo.
There is a simple saying that is good to remember when starting out: you can’t take a good photo in a bad situation. This simply means that if you approach your subject at the wrong time of day, or in the wrong weather conditions, no amount of technology will solve the problem. On the other hand, if you have the right light, you don’t need any technical skills to get the shot. Nature does most of the work for you.
As soon as light is mentioned, most people automatically think of early morning and late afternoon. Any photographer with even a shred of experience soon learns that these are generally the best times to take nature photos. Although it’s not true all the time, it’s a good place to start.
When the sun is very low in the sky, it creates a soft, warm light that is very attractive in a photo. Shining from a low angle, it also illuminates the subject’s face more evenly. Also, due to the lower contrast, the shadows you can see are less harsh than in the middle of the day. So for various reasons, early morning (until about 9am) and late afternoon towards sunset are often the best times to take your photos.
Most people know this. The problem is that most people don’t go the extra mile to put it into practice. Are you prepared to camp out overnight to be on location at dawn to get the perfect shot? If photography is important enough to you, you will go to these extremes and more. It might seem like a big deal, but once you get that once-in-a-lifetime picture, you’ll agree the payoff was well worth it. This is standard practice for a nature photographer.
Should all nature photography be taken early in the morning or late in the afternoon? In a word: no.
As they say, rules are made to be broken. You would be wrong to think that this simple approach works every time. So what are some of the exceptions?
Black and white photography is a little different from other photography. Instead of subjects being defined with subtle color tones, black and white photography uses strong lines and shadows. The best effect can be produced with a higher contrast in light. So when you think of black and white photography, you may find yourself looking for the brightest light in the middle of the day.
Rainforest photography is another departure from general landscape photography. Under the rainforest canopy, sunlight can become a mosaic of light and shadow that makes perfect exposure impossible. For best results in the rainforest, I generally look for overcast conditions, with perhaps a little mist to add atmosphere. Under these cloudy skies, the best times are usually in the middle of the day, when the light is quite bright. This helps you avoid an image that is too dark.
When it comes to wildlife photography, you can take a lesson from the landscape and a lesson from the rainforest. If you are shooting your subject in bright sunlight, early morning and late afternoon are usually best. At these times, the contrast is lowered and the subject is bathed in soft light and warm colors.
However, some wildlife subjects are best captured on a cloudy day, such as in a rain forest. Dim light washes out a lot of reflections, so shiny surfaces (a frog’s skin, a bird’s feathers, etc.) can appear much lighter and more colorful on a cloudy day. The lower contrast of this light also means important subject details won’t be lost in shadow.
This is not an exhaustive list of examples. You could go on forever identifying which subjects work best in different types of light. I just hope these ideas get you thinking about natural light and how it can enhance your photography. Once you let nature do most of the work for you, you may find that the technical aspects of photography become a little less challenging.