Nature photography

Nature photography is a difficult and rewarding photographic pursuit. The nature photographer, creating his nature art with an image of a natural scene, is concerned with imposing his own aesthetic vision of the world while dealing with the forces of nature and normal photo problems.

Nature photography is perhaps the most popular of all photographic art styles. The nature scene was the first of photography to be accepted as legitimate artistic expression, and the nature photographer has a long tradition of the nature image to live up to. Ansel Adams and the f/64 group sought absolute idealized perfection in the nature image, while other nature photographers allow abstraction and personal expression influence their nature art. There is no correct answer; only the question: why are you interested in nature photography?

Before getting started in nature photography
A beginner nature photographer should first ask themselves why are they drawn to nature photography. Interested in the photo challenge? Are you concerned with nature conservancy? Are you inspired by all those Adams nature posters at the frame shop in the mall? Perhaps nature art gives you a reason to be out in nature?

There is no right reason, but how you answer it affects your working method. If you are interested in nature abstractions, you can often find a variety of nature scenes in a nearby park. If you aspire to be the next Ansel Adams, only the most pristine, dramatic nature scene will be suitable. Are you interested in ocean scenes? Macrophotography of flowers? Cloud photography? Contact prints of leaves? Your inspiration should drive your working method.

Practical issues for the nature pPhotographer
The traditional landscape photography tool is the view camera: the large negative size reproduces a nature scene in stunning detail and opens up the opportunity for contact printing, which makes breathtaking nature pictures. (See Linda Conner : Absorbing Light for examples of contact-printed nature images). The slow working method provided by these large cameras is rarely a problem which unmoving subjects. Also, most large format cameras have extendable bellows that allow close-up photography (Jeffrey Dugan’s The Snow Project used an 8×10 view camera with a microscope to image individual snow flakes!).

Many nature images are made with a medium format camera, such as a 6x6cm Hasselblad or 6×7 Mamiya. These cameras give the nature photographer a relatively large negative with a reasonably portable package, and the 8-12 exposures on each 120/220 roll film allow multiple interpretations of each nature scene.

Small format and digital SLR cameras allow a ton of flexibility, and for modest enlargements (or on-screen viewing like a nature screensaver), provide all the quality necessary. For specialized nature art such as animal or bird photography, a small format camera is the best choice.

Philosophical concerns of nature photographic art
It is a sad but true fact that man is quickly overtaking, polluting, taming, changing, compartmentalizing, and basically ruining the few untouched stretches of landscape that still remain. This presents the dilemma to the nature photographer: do I represent the scene objectively and find beauty in truth (and perhaps affect change), or do I idealize the landscape, altering reality to create an image that reminds the viewer of the unspoiled beauty of nature? Photoshop and other digital imaging tools allow us to create whatever we can imagine. What do you want to express with your nature photography?

Nature photography has a rich tradition of exceptional nature images. May you create meaningful nature art that moves your viewer!