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Nature Photography Tips 16

So far, in our nature photography tips series, we’ve covered the Rule of Thirds, and all 14 basic lines and shapes commonly used in photo composition. I’ve enjoyed putting this together, and hope it’s been useful to you as well. Here’s a summary all 14 photo composition lines and shapes, with the basic concepts they tend to portray in nature photography.

1. Horizontal lines – freedom and open expanses
2. Vertical lines – strength and power
3. Diagonal lines – excitement and motion
4. Single Diagonal line – dramatic contrast
5. Radiated lines – dramatic force and freedom
6. Curved lines – grace, beauty and dignity
7. Upright Triangles – solid strength and stability
8. Inverted Triangles – tension, instability and freedom
9. Multiple Triangles – happy dynamic movement
10. Central Dot – clarity of thought and purpose
11. Comparison of two or more objects – interest, uniqueness, rhythm
12. Crossed lines (an X)- depth and distance
13. Repeated themes – rhythm, unity, completeness
14. Tunnel effect – concentration, objectivity

Of course most photo composition will be a mixture of these 14 lines and shapes. You will also want to remember that rules and guidelines in art are often best broken as long as you are aware of them, and why you are breaking them. This applies to our nature photography tips as well.

Nature Photography Tips

Your challenge is to create an album of your own original photo composition using all 14 lines and shapes. Try to collect at least 2 or 3 examples of each concept, and continue to replace the ones you don’t feel are prize winning compositions. In time you’ll have an album of nature photography that’s rich and varied. You might try confining yourself to one theme such as cats or trees, or all photos from one area.

I’m planning to have photo contests and critiques available on Photo Lifestyle soon, so you’ll be able to share your work with all of us. Enjoy!

Nature Photography Tips 15

We’ve been covering photo composition in our Nature Photography Tips for some time now. The last photo composition technique in the series is the tunnel effect. Granted, a parapet from the ancient castle grounds in Amakusa Japan isn’t exactly a form of nature, but it does a good job of illustrating this type of photo compostition.

You can achieve this same effect by using, of course, a real tunnel or covered bridge. A classic tunnel effect can also achieved in nature photography by simply finding a narrow opening between the trunks of two trees, boulders or even leaves of a tree. The idea of this photo composition technique is to achieve a sense of looking out onto the bright world from inside a tunnel shaped, darker area. The main subject can be the ‘tunnel’ walls such as a mossy stone or log, or, as in our example, it can be the bright world outside the tunnel.

The tunnel effect emphasizes a sharp contrast, and invites direct concentration on the subject. It’s also possible to express the feeling of looking at a subject from a great distance, and serves to distance the viewer emotionally as well, thus producing a sense of calm and objectivity.

Nature Photography Tips:

Do you tend to take advantage of the tunnels and holes you find when you have your camera out? Check you files to see if you have used the tunnel effect in the past, and try it if you haven’t.

Next time we’ll list all 14 photo composition techniques we’ve covered in the Nature Photography Tips series. Thanks for staying tuned, and do leave a comment!

Nature Photography Tips 14

The next type of photo composition in our Nature Photography Tips is randomly or evenly distributed repeated themes. Nature photography lends itself to this type of photo compostion. Clouds, flowers, birds, sheep, fallen leaves and rocks along a coastline or in a desert are just a few examples of repeated themes in nature photography.

The clouds in this photo composition by Elizabeth Laurel are a great example. They are randomly placed, but spread themselves more or less evenly over the sky.

A photo composition of multiple flowers is another classic application of repeated themes. Repeated themes provide an excellent way to express a pleasing rhythm and a beautiful sense of unity and completeness.

Nature Photography Tips:

The photography tips are really about the same as usual. Find repeated themes in your photo files, then go out and find more repeated themes to photograph.

Notice the rhythm and unity you discover in these photos.

I do hope you’ve been creating an album of photos that utilize the 14 basic compositions in nature photography. You’ll find as your photo lifestyle progresses, you’ll be adding to these files until you have a ton of great photo compositions in each category.

Stay tuned for the final style to cover in this Nature Photography Tips series.

Thanks to Elizabeth Laurel for the great sunset!

Nature Photography Tips 13

We covered diagonal lines in Nature Photography Tips 5. You can achive some interesting effects by finding diagonal lines that cross in an X. An X in photography echoes the classic Western art technique of having the lines meet in the center of a photo to show depth. The prime example of this is DaVinci’s last supper.

You can find instances of an X in nature photography in rivers and waterfalls, especially if you are shooting upstream. Just as in classical art, the X in photography emphasizes depth, giving your photo three dimensional aspect.

An X in photography doesn’t have to clearly defined, and it doesn’t have to be in the center of the photo. Often an X will simply present itself naturally. I wasn’t thinking about lines when I took this shot of the dew in a hedge, but the subject is so tangled, I really couldn’t avoid the X. I didn’t noticed it until after I got home.

This photo of a mountain park in the early morning shows a classic example of the X in photography. It was a little too dark to get a really clear picture, but I wanted to remember the cacophony of different colors. There are really multiple X’s in this example. See if you can find two or three.
Nature Photography Tips

I think you’ll find a ton of X’s in your files of nature photography. Try to identify several. Be aware of the power of the X in photography to show a sense of depth and finesse as you take photos this winter. An X can be especially dramatic in a monochromatic snow theme.

There are only two more concepts to cover in this nature photography series on lines. When we’re finished we’ll move on to other photography tips to be aware of in your photo lifestyle. Stay tuned!

Thanks to my daughter, Elizabeth Laurel for the great butterfly shot!

Nature Photography Tips 12

We’ve been exploring lines and composition styles in our nature photography tips series for some time now. There are 14 basic lines. The last one we discussed was a single central dot, so the next one, the eleventh, would naturally be a comparison of two or more objects. We naturally compare or contrast two objects when we take pictures of multiple flowers, a flower with a bud, or a big rock and an interesting tree.

Sometimes the purpose is to show a rhythm by having a row or group of similar objects, but more often we contrast two objects by either lining up two very different thngs, or putting one in the foreground and one in the background.

This technique of employing a comparison of two or more objects serves to emphasize the uniqueness of one object, and adds a dramatic flair to a photo that one object alone often misses. (Don’t forget to click on the picture to see a closeup. You may miss the bee otherwise.)

Of course we aren’t limited to nature photography when we compare or contrast two objects. The quintessential happy couple, or mother with a baby are prime examples of this theme. I love this photo of a very interesting couple. She is an intstructor of Japanese caligraphy and brush writing, and he is a wood carver. Naturally, they don’t always get along this well, but they were definitely enjoying each other at this moment!

Nature Photography Tips:

Once again, check your old photo files first to see how much you are already emplying a comparison of two or more objects. Do you find your self doing a contrast of two objects that are very different?

Experiment with these photography tips in the coming days. With Christmas only two days away, you’ll be taking a lot of people and food photos. Try having one family member in focus, and put someone looking at them a bit blurred in the background. Do the same with the flowers and ornaments on the tree to contrast two objects that are different.

Notice how a comparison of two or more objects adds drama and rhythm to your photo lifestyle.