Nature Photography How To

Proper focusing techniques are essential for all types of photography, whether you’re shooting indoors or outside. This is particular true with travel and nature images that include a variety of elements from near to far. Do things right and you’ve captured a winning shot—otherwise it’s just another missed opportunity.

Are you consistently struggling to achieve accurate focus when shooting nature and wildlife photos under acceptable conditions in the field? If so, there's a good chance that your camera settings and focusing skills aren't up to par.

If you're struggling to capture photographs that are just as just as spectacular as your wildlife subjects, we're going to change all that today with five practical tips from an Australian pro designed for beginners and experience shooters alike. These techniques are practical, not theoretical, and "actually work in the real world."

Since the development of photography in the early 1800s, there has always been a strong tradition of photographers using their work to promote conservation and social justice issues. One need only to look at the development of the National Park System in the United States to see the impact early photographers had on conservation. William Henry Jackson, with his 1871 Yellowstone photographs, helped push through legislation that established Yellowstone as the world’s first National Park. Another well-known example of a conservationist photographer was Ansel Adams, whose tireless efforts both as a photographer and as a 37-year member of the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors led to the establishment of Kings Canyon National Park in 1940.

If you're a regular visitor to the Shutterbug website, you know how we feel about the so-called rules of photography; namely, they're often meant to be ignored. This is especially true when it comes to composition, as you'll see in the eye-opening video below.

Last week we brought you the premiere episode of a free online photo editing masterclass from our friends at the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. That one demonstrated Lightroom’s most basic tools.