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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 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 11

The next line in our nature photography tips is one I bet we’ve all used. It’s the simple dot, showing a theme in the center of the frame with a relatively plain or purposely unfocused background.  This simple composition expresses a singular purpose, and evokes concentration and clarity of thought.

I wanted to share this particular winter rose with you, not because it’s especially beautiful, but because it was such an amazing flower. It bloomed in late October last year, and was still hanging in there long after New Years. I’ve never seen a winter rose bloom for more than a week, but this tenacious flower just sat there clinging to its branch through several freezes and thaws. Each time it froze the petals got a little more transparent until it looked like it was made of stained glass. Some things don’t have to be especially beautiful to be a worthy candidate for nature photography.

Here’s a classic example of the central dot. The background is intentionally blurred in order to direct your eye to the center of this early peach blossom. I got this photo from my daughter, who doesn’t have a proper camera. She took this with her cell phone. She says her pocket digital camera tends to focus on as much of the frame as possible, and has a large depth of field at any setting, but the cell phone is designed to focus on only one thing in the center of the frame, so works well for this kind of shot.

You don’t have to find a round object to qualify for the central dot. The idea is to focus on a single object. It doesn’t have to be right in the center either. The cricket in our rule of thirds photography tips is a great off center example.

Nature Photography Tips

Do you take a lot of central dot shots when you are shooting nature photography? If not, try a few and notice the clarity and focus they express.

Use a macro lens or setting to get the blurred background effect, or play with the aperture to see if you can achieve a shallow depth of field in order to emphasize the subject.

Experiment with the position of your subject, and also the angle. Straight into a flower may not always be the best angle. The beauty of digital photography is that you can take as many shots as you want, and choose the best one later. I had about 15 photos of the winter rose to choose from.

We have 4 more shapes to cover in this section of our nature photography tips. Keep collecting shots of each composition style!

Nature Photography Tips 10

Our example for today isn’t exactly nature photography, but my daughter took these Christmas lights at the mall yesterday, and it shows the photography tips we want to talk about.

We’ve been discussing lines and shapes in nature photography. In Nature photography tips 9 we discussed upright and inverted triangles. An arrangement of multiple triangles makes a great composition as well. Multiple triangles can be found in nature in valleys, near streams and waterfalls and really just about anywhere if you are looking for them. Interesting rock formations and clouds can form into multiple triangles as well.

This photo of the Christmas lights is a classic example with the lion forming an upright triangle, and the hanging lights an inverted triangle. The two complement each other, and make a much more interesting composition than either object would have by itself.

Multiple triangles in nature photography tend to express a sense of happy, dynamic movement with the impression that there is a lot going on. Richard Scarey’s Busy, Busy World comes to mind.

Nature Photography Tips:

Multiple triangles might be a bit more of a challenge to find, both in your files, and in your daily photo lifestyle. You will be well rewarded when you find them, though, as your photos will gain a dynamic dimension that you may not have discovered before. This Christmas season may be a great time to look for them, as obviously Christmas trees and Santa hats tend to be triangles!

Nature Photography Tips 9

We’ve covered six different kinds of straight and curved lines in our nature photography tips so far. Now we move on to triangles. Nature photography can be based on either upright triangles, like a pyramid, or inverted triangles, essentially standing on end.

Upright triangles occur naturally in nature photography, especially when shooting mountains, or certain trees, but many subjects can show a triangle with a little thought. Upright triangles emphasize a sense of solid strength and stability, and serve to direct the eye to the top.

I made a very interesting discovery while looking through my photos for upright triangles. I had taken quite a few pictures with a composition based on triangles, but I couldn’t find even one shot featuring an upright triangle. They were all inverted!

Inverted triangles are easy to find, too. Deciduous trees and valleys come to mind, but it seems I’ve subconsciously found inverted triangles all over the place. Inverted triangles express tension derived from instability, and also a sense of freedom resulting from the rising and ever widening expanse.

Nature Photography Tips:

Look through your nature photography files to see which type of triangle you have been favoring. Are you like me, attracted to inverted triangles, or do you see more beauty in a sense of solid stability? I have no idea what this could mean on a psychological level, but I could take some wild guesses.

Try to capture some triangles in your photo lifestyle. Take some obvious shots such as mountains and trees, but see if you can find some more subtle triangles to shoot as well. Keep snapping away, as there are more photography tips coming soon.

Thanks to my dad, Ted Wilkinson, for the photo of Mt. Shasta in Northern California.