10 tips for outdoor photography

These tips come from recommendations by other photographers, other experts, and my own experience.  Some of the tips haven’t always worked for me. Others have. I let you know what went right for me and what didn’t.

1.       No perfume. Shooting animals or bees? Leave the perfume bottle on the dresser unless you want a too-real close-up shot.  (The no-perfume recommendation comes from the guidelines provided by the great staff at Wolf Park, in Indiana; and from having been the focus of an actual bee-line.  I wasn’t shooting the bees heading straight towards me at the time.  I suppose that was a good thing.  It allowed me to duck.)

2.       Camouflage – Whether you’re exploring the woods at the edge of your backyard or those at a forest preserve or park clothes that blend with your surrounding is often recommended as a way to avoid detection by your prey.  That’s assuming your prey isn’t smarter than you. For instance one beautiful wintry day I wore all white with the intent of shooting a flock of geese in the park.  There were about thirty gees eating snow.  When I arrived I was facing their rear ends.  I decided to every so-slowly circle around to shoot them from the side so I could include faces in the shot.  And I was very slow. It took me about seven minutes to walk a 90 degree arc. I stopped not because I had arrived at my intended destination but because I realized I was still facing their rear ends. Through all this time all thirty-or-so birds had maintained their back-end to me ready for flight while munching snow. I probably should have just run into their midst and sent them scurrying into the sky. I probably would have obtained some great shots of scared geese that way.  Oh well.

3.       Camera supports. Sturdy tripods are a wonderful thing. They keep cameras steady during strong winds; allow for slow shutter speeds when capturing a sunrise or night photography. Tripods with spikes for feet are even better for outdoors. You can really push them into the earth for even better support. A tripod that can have its legs angled to 180 degrees lets the photographer shoot subjects that are near the ground. Otherwise bring a second table tripod for low shots.

Monopods take up less space than tripods. To make them less wobbly try this tip from Outdoor and Survival skills for nature photographers by Ralph LaPlant and Amy Sharpe. Steady the monopod by placing it against the inside of your leg and knee and pushing it gently into the ground.

If you’re driving and don’t feel like getting out of the car try a window mount. It’s a clamp for cameras that you place on a window.  I’ve often thought about using one for various projects but I’m always paranoid that the camera is going to fall.

Depending on where you’re going you should find out ahead of time if there are restrictions on how much and what type of camera supports you can bring with you.

4.       Flash. You may think that when you’re shooting outside during the daytime you may never need to use a flash. On a beautiful still day you’re probably right.  But the slightest breeze can cause a flower to tremble. Using a flash will help freeze the plant’s movements.

5.       Book Guides. City dwellers who have an affinity for nature may be unaware of how close nature may be found. Book guides that cover subjects like bird watching and nature walks in nearby areas are a great resource.

6.       GPS. Do I need to say more?

7.       Lens cleaner. When you’re outside the wind will blow dust and particles onto your lens. A student asked me what my preference is when it comes to cleaning lenses.  You have options such as a specially made non-abrasive cloth that costs under $2.00.  There are brushes and pads and liquid cleaners to dab that pads with. If I absolutely have to I will use a dry cloth but my preferred way to clean my lens is with an air blower.  I use a rubber one with a long red plastic tube at the end.  It looks like toy rocket ship but it’s made for cameras and their lenses.  I like it because its effective and won’t scratch or smear the lens. 

8.       Batteries.  Always have extra.

9.       Gloves. If it’s cold outside yes wear gloves.  I know gloves can make handling a camera’s controls more cumbersome and you might think that handling the camera with gloves will result with lint on your lens. Use a shutter cable release or wireless remote to activate the shuutter without touching the camera. Or buy mittens with detachable finger holders so you can have more dexterity.  There’s also another option of which I am apparently fond of this winter. Take your hands out of the gloves when handling the camera. After you take the shot blow on the cold fingers before sticking them back inside the glove and remind yourself why you’re out there.

10.   Flashlight. After you’ve shot that beautiful sunset you may want a flashlight to guide you out of the forest or park (along with your GPS unit). Also, a flash can be used as another light source for shooting your image.


There’s an eleventh tip.  Don’t forget the golden rules of composition. (See article from an earlier post.)