Nature Photography How To

One of the first bits of advice offered to less-experienced photographers is to “get closer to your subject.” More advanced shooters know that moving in tight tends to avoid background clutter and emphasize the primary subject. Macro (or close-up) photography takes this tenet to the extreme and makes possible some very unique imagery as long as one owns the required equipment and employs proper techniques.

While everyone’s definition of “extreme” is a little different, the one thing that can be said of extreme outdoor photography is it involves leaving the car far behind and dealing with whatever difficulties present themselves without running for cover. To help get you ready for your next extreme shoot, here are my seven most important tools for working in the wild under tough conditions.

The LensCoat LensHide is a clever camouflage covering that conceals both the photographer and his or her camera gear for stealth, undercover nature photography.

There are many ways to plan, prepare and work in nature that can benefit your photography, make you more efficient and keep you safe. Determining what I would need for a 3-day assignment with nothing but a backpack to store all of my food, clothing and photo equipment made my job easier as I headed into Yosemite’s backcountry (#1). How you prepare makes a huge difference in how you work. In musical terms, this is your sound check, and since a musician rarely plays cold, as photographers we too should create our own run-through before the performance.

If you’ve visited Shutterbug’s galleries, you’ve likely seen Douglas Croft’s splendid work. A specialist in nature, outdoor, and travel photography, Croft’s gorgeous images have received glowing remarks from fellow Shutterbug readers.

Kamchatka, Eastern Russia: I am standing at the crater rim of the active Tolbachik volcano, taking pictures. Suddenly the volcano spits out a red-glowing lava bomb that is heading precisely in my direction. Luckily enough it doesn’t hit me but lands just by my side. Although afraid at first, I delightedly grab my camera: this is a rare opportunity to take close-up shots from still very hot and glowing cinder bombs.

My wide-angle lens was perfect when the late-evening shadows crept across the mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The sweeping landscape, wide open and treeless, was suited to the wide field of view. Until, that is, the weather turned, and with it, my perspective on that wild place. I woke one morning to rain pattering intermittently on the nylon of my tent. Between showers, I emerged to find the mountains obscured by scudding clouds.