simple guidelines for good nature photography all photos by kathy hicks

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Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

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Page 1: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Simple Guidelines forGood Nature Photography

All photos by Kathy Hicks

Page 2: Simple Guidelines for Good 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.

Page 3: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Blown out shadows, highlights and glare spots.

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

Page 4: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Glare Spots are Distracting

Page 5: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Too Dark

O DARK

Ducklings are lost in

darkness

Page 6: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Too many dark spots. Nothing stands out.

Page 7: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

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

Page 8: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Unique-ness

Look for the unusual, even in the back yard.

Page 9: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Eye Contact at Eye Level.It’s engaging.

Page 10: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Catch ‘em in the Act

Page 11: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Hunting

Page 12: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Flying

Page 13: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Crying

Page 14: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Dancing

Page 15: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Fighting

Page 16: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Eating

Page 17: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Finger Lickin’

Page 18: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Try your best to avoid background clutter

Page 19: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

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

Page 20: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Reflections Add Interest

Page 21: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Textures are Interesting.

Page 22: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Direct focus to your subjectFRAMINGLEADING LINES

Page 23: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

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

Page 24: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Give ‘em space to look / move into

Page 25: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Get close . . . When you can.

Page 26: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

Know the rules. Then you can break the rules.

Page 27: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

EBird.org to search for particular species.

Page 28: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

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).

Page 29: Simple Guidelines for Good Nature Photography All photos by Kathy Hicks

And don’t forget to look around.