Simple Guidelines forGood Nature Photography

All photos by Kathy Hicks

Follow these guidelines as closely as possible.

• Make sure eyes are in focus• Look for unique scenes• Catch ‘em in the act (Action = cool!)• Make sure what you need to see is visible (details in

highlights & shadows)• Avoid distractions• Simplify; the subject needs to be clear• Look for shots everywhere, including the back yard• Don’t put your subject in the middle (follow the rule

of thirds)• Empty spaces. Give your subject room to move into

or look into.• Know the rules. Then you can break the rules.

Blown out shadows, highlights and glare spots.

Try to avoid losing detail on your subject. Example: White egrets can easily be TOO WHITE.

Glare Spots are Distracting

Too Dark

O DARK

Ducklings are lost in

darkness

Too many dark spots. Nothing stands out.

Move around a little, shoot from a different spot and . . . see what we were missing?

Unique-ness

Look for the unusual, even in the back yard.

Eye Contact at Eye Level.It’s engaging.

Catch ‘em in the Act

Hunting

Flying

Crying

Dancing

Fighting

Eating

Finger Lickin’

Try your best to avoid background clutter

Simplify.Make sure your subject is clear. Avoid distractions such as noisy backgrounds, glare spots, and stray objects that divide attention.

Reflections Add Interest

Textures are Interesting.

Direct focus to your subjectFRAMINGLEADING LINES

Put your subject near one of the four quadrants. Not in the middle.

Give ‘em space to look / move into

Get close . . . When you can.

Know the rules. Then you can break the rules.

EBird.org to search for particular species.

Some additional notes:• Patience is key. Fidgeting will tend to make birds nervous. Wear

neutral colored clothing. Avoid flashy accessories and jewelry.• Don’t tick off the birdwatchers! They can be your most important

allies. Don’t flush a bird that they are trying to watch.• Watch your step. For many reasons. Many birds nest on the

ground and in the sand. Chicks are hard to see, even if you’re looking for them. Watch out for snakes. A monopod makes a good weapon.

• When hiking, I leave my camera on APERATURE priorty set on F/8 & ISO 400. I’ve found spot metering works best for me. I use the exposure compensation like crazy.

• Stabilize the camera as best you can.• In good light, 1/500 is a good shutter setting for capturing a flying

hummingbird (freezing the motion).

And don’t forget to look around.