How To Improve Your Nature Photography

Adapted from JOHN SHAW'S GUIDE TO DIGITAL NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. Used with the permission of the publisher, Amphoto Books. ​Published March 2015. Copyright © 2014 by John Shaw. All rights reserved.

Light is what makes photography possible. 

It can transform a subject or influence our perception of it; it is the most basic requirements of a photograph. In order to take the best picture possible, we must literally “see the light” before we even see the image before us.

Here are some things to consider about the lighting of your subject:

• Direction: whether it’s coming from the front, side, or back, pay attention to how the light is falling on your subject. Direct front light is perfect for birds because all parts of the bird will be illuminated equally. This kind of light will be behind you, coming over your shoulders. Sidelighting will create shadows. It can be disconcerting to see an animal with half of it’s body in shadow, but on the other hand it can be dramatic!
• Character: The character of light can depend on where it’s coming from and the weather. In can be “hard,” when the sun lands high in a cloudless sky, or "soft,” on an overcast day when the entire sky is one giant, diffused light source. Hard light is high-contrast light, with black, sharp-edged shadows. On the other hand, soft lighting is low-contrast light, great for close-ups and delicate colors. Soft light can be created by haze or dust in the air, moisture such as fog or clouds, or even the atmosphere itself just before sunrise and just after sunset. What kind of light do you want your picture to have?
• Color: Light’s color ranges from warm reds and oranges early and late in the day, to cooler blues at midday. Overcast conditions also tip the light toward the cool side; the “heavier” the sky, the cooler the color. Cool light can emphasize the coldness of winter or frost, while warm-toned subjects will jump out at the viewer. Basic color theory says that warm colors advance, while cool colors recede. Having warm highlights, with cooler shadow areas, is one way to emphasize three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional image.
• Light is ever-changing: We tend to forget about how quickly and often light changes. How a subject appears in one light at one moment in time is not how it will appear in another light at some other time. Since photography is “painting with light,” we must learn to continue painting even after we have taken one successful shot. It’s all too easy to tell yourself that you are “finished” with a subject, when all you’ve done is photograph it at a certain time in a particular light. As the light illuminating a subject changes, so does the viewer’s emotional response to a photograph; so chances are you haven’t exhausted the subject. Changes in lighting can occur as quickly as moment to moment or as slowly as season to season.

John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography, by John Shaw, Amphoto Books, 240 pages, $24.99. Buy it at Random House.