A Beginners Guide Outdoor Photography

30 Nov 2017

Want to take your camera into the great outdoors? Here’s our guide to getting started.

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

Whether you’re interested in capturing landscapes and wildlife, monuments found on your travels, or family and friends at special events, there are some important elements to consider before wandering outside.

Lighting

Regardless of your subject, taking your camera outside means losing control of your light source. There’s a range of variables, including season, cloud cover and time of day, that can result in less-than-ideal lighting. 

Taking photos during early morning or dusk – the ‘golden hours’ – offers you a softer light source.

Harsh midday sun is harder to control, but stepping into shade can help diffuse the light reaching your lens, resulting in a nicer exposure.

Landscape
If you plan on shooting landscapes, it’s important to use a wide-angle lens to capture the breadth of your subject.

In most cases, keeping your horizon straight makes for a cleaner image. If you’re taking photos of friends in front of large monuments or natural wonders, pay attention to the angle of your frame.

Sometimes, it can be fun to play around with horizon placement; how much sky or foreground you include in your frame can change the feel of the shot dramatically.

Moving subjects
Taking photos of family and friends – or even wildlife – while hiking or travelling introduces movement to your composition. Representing movement in your photo will require blurring certain elements in the image. Blurring your moving subject and keeping the background in focus requires a slow shutter speed and a tripod for stability. If your aim is to keep your subject in focus, you’ll need a slow shutter speed while moving your camera to keep your subject in the frame.

EQUIPMENT
Here are the top four pieces of equipment you’ll need to take your outdoor photography to the next level:

Polarizer filter: perfect for shooting in bright light to help mediate reflections and glare.
Zoom lens: useful for long-distance shooting or for taking close-ups of detailed subjects.
Wide-angle lens: a necessity for landscape photography, offering a wider frame.  Tripod: helps to secure your camera and handy for landscapes and moving subjects.

Have you taken any great outdoor shots lately? Head to the PSPL website for details on how to enter the 2017-18 Probus National Photographic Competition.