Ten Nature Photography Tips

There are a lot of good photographers out there, in fact there are a lot of brilliant photographers out there in Web Photo Land and some are also excellent communicators who unselfishly share their hard-won knowledge.  They are to be commended for sharing what they know, to help the less experienced along their own photographic journey.  In the same spirit of knowledge sharing, I’d like to offer up my list of top tips in an area in which I have consistently excelled over the years – bad photography.

If you want to be the worst photographer that you can be then ignore these at your peril. If you read and digest them, unfailingly follow them and burn them into your memory, then in no time at all you will be taking the worst photographs of your life.  Guaranteed.

1. Never read the manual.  Manuals are for amateurs and you want to look professional, don’t you?
2. Don’t use a tripod.  You already have two legs, what do you want to carry another three around with you for?
3. Don’t go out in bad weather.  Why on earth would anyone want to?  There is no point getting cold, wet and uncomfortable, and anyway, you spent a lot of money on your camera and you don’t want to risk getting it wet.
4. Always use auto exposure, auto white balance and auto everything.  If your camera has a Programme mode, use that.  Your camera always knows best.
5. Always photograph from eye level.  It’s obviously the most comfortable position.  Getting down on your knees is awkward and as for lying down, well, you spent a lot of money on your camera and you don’t want to risk getting it dirty.
6. Don’t pay any attention to the background.  It’s your subject that matters, who cares about what’s behind it?
7. Don’t pay any attention to the foreground.  It’s your subject that matters, who cares about what’s in front of it?
8. Photograph in flat lighting whenever you can.  Photographs are meant to be flat.
9. Don’t chase first light.  You are much better off staying in bed resting and dreaming about the great photographs you will be taking later on.
10. Never plan.  Planning is for nerds and Boy Scouts.