Nature Photography How To

Landscape photographer Mark Denney recently returned from a photography trip to Yosemite and came back with five great shooting ideas he says will improve your landscape photos this summer.

Floral photography is a fun and accessible genre this time of year because there are beautiful blooms just about everywhere you look—at a local park or nature center, and even in the comfort of your own backyard. Best yet, you don't need fancy equipment or advanced skills.

Here's a provocative and enlightening video from photographer Mark Denney. In the below clip, Denney discusses whether photographers should remove elements from a landscape photo during the editing process.

Like it or not we live in an era where camera manufactures compete with each other for how much resolution their products offer. But there's a big difference between what you want and what you really need. That's why, budget notwithstanding, it's time to ask yourself how many megapixels are necessary for your style of photography.

Shutter Speed is an important consideration with an interesting duality. Many photographers opt for high shutter speeds in an attempt to assure maximum sharpness—admittedly a key consideration when setting up a shot. But there are times when a slow shutter speed will deliver images with a heightened sense of artistry.

The proper use of depth-of-field effects is an important component of all great outdoor photographs, and we often use camera settings and techniques that accentuate a main subject by limiting the zone of sharpness to soften backgrounds and deemphasize other areas within the frame.

Bird photography is both fun and accessible because it's a genre that anyone than pursue at a nearby park, wildlife refuge, or even in the comfort of their own backyard. Even newbies can get in on the action with dynamic results, as you'll see in this quick tutorial from the popular Flying Parrot instructional YouTube channel.