Good Thursday dear peeps!
Like most people, I have my smartphone with me wherever I go, and snapping photos with it is just so much easier and faster than with a regular camera. And as I live in a place where there’s more trees, birds and seawater than anything else, nature is naturally what I photograph the most. But every once in a while you just get tired of shooting a pretty sunset or taking a snapshot of a nice little cloud formation in the sky.
So to boost my own (and hopefully yours as well!) creative thinking and to give ideas for taking photos outside, here is a list of tips to consider the next time you are out and about with your preferred photography device.
1. Find a natural frame for your photo in the scene you are shooting.
Instead of just taking a shot of a beautiful view, find a spot that will provide a frame for the shot for added drama and depth.
2. Look for reflections on water.
On a calm day with no wind, find water that reflects the surroundings for a magical, storybook feel in the photo.
3. Don’t stop just because the weather is turning bad.
Sunny days are not the only days to get great photos. Sometimes approaching storms make for pretty dramatic scenery, just moments before the rain starts to pour.
4. Go out right after the rain.
Especially great if the sun is shining right after a big rain shower, the drops of water shine like diamonds on flower petals.
5. Go as high as you can.
A view that can look flat and boring usually gets an instant lift when you hike up to shoot it from above the normal level.
6. Make a collage out it.
If you see something that catches your eye, take it with you and later arrange them together on a white piece of paper for an instant seasonal nature collage.
7. Focus on contrast.
Search for spots where the dark forest cuts into the light sky or water meets dry land for striking images where opposites attract.
8. Get really close.
Instead of trying to capture the entire subject from top to bottom, pick the most interesting part and shoot it in macro to bring out unique features and details that would not be visible otherwise.
9. Play with different textures.
Moss-covered stones, patches of wild mushrooms or wheat swishing in the wind can make unexpectedly beautiful photos.
10. Leave the viewer guessing.
Instead of shooting the most obvious view of a subject, take a few steps back and take a photo of getting to that place. The sense of something great and hidden, about to be discovered, can be powerful.
Hope you liked these ideas, please share one of your own in the comments!
Much photogenic love,
Sera