Learn how to take creative photographs

Animals & Nature

Discover the essence of nature photography
A Sunday afternoon stroll in the woods. A day at the zoo. Spring awakening. A spectacular safari. The natural world is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In this course, we introduce you to the basics of nature photography. Practical tips and creative suggestions for having even more fun with your camera while out and about. From the African savannah to your own back garden.

dRaW THEIR aTTEnTIOn

Animals are difficult to direct. Due to this, you are quickly tempted to shoot a photograph of a pet or animal in the situation it just happens to be in. This can work well, but it often produces fairly static portraits. Recognise this? Your pet does something funny and just as you have your camera ready, it appears that the cat or dog already has other plans. So make sure that you maintain as much contact with the animal as possible. For example through calling your dog, due to which hell come to you. Or throw a toy to your cat. Food always works too. Have someone throw a dog biscuit into the air so that your dog looks up or even jumps. In brief, draw the attention of your animal so that their behaviour is more photogenic. Youll see that this produces much better photographs!

BE PaTIEnT and CaPTURE THaT SPECIaL MOMEnT

The most beautiful, funniest or most moving moments are often very brief. Certainly where it concerns animals and their behaviour. In any case, they dont submit to being forced. Which means that you have to be patient. Wait until something special happens. This doesnt just apply to pets, but also to a visit to the zoo. Relax and take the time to observe the animal you want to photograph. Something is bound to happen that is worth (an even better) a photograph!
Continuous shooting When that unique moment comes along, it would be a shame to not be able to record it. Most often its in the details that only last for a few seconds. Then you dont have the opportunity to study the results from a photograph youve shot and take a new one. This isnt necessary as there is a handy mode on your camera for this: continuous shooting. With this, the camera can shoot multiple photographs of the same situation in rapid succession. Compare the results from the whole series, and youll see that there is always a photograph amongst them that has that extra special something.

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SHOOT an InTRIGUInG anIMaL PORTRaIT

You can shoot beautiful animal portraits too. What about a gorillas gruff gaze, a drowsy lions head or, closer to home, try taking a prominent photograph of your pet. There are tricks you can use to give your picture added value. You can do a lot yourself, but your camera can help too.
Change your position and use the portrait mode Because animals pay little attention to your instructions, youll have to adopt a different position yourself, preferably at eye level. Try experimenting with the effect that occurs when you shoot a photograph while crouching or lying. On your stomach, or even on your back. Then switch your camera to portrait mode. This is usually under S, Scene or Scenery. This mode ensures a sharp foreground against a blurred background. This strongly emphasises your subject and it receives full attention.

EXPERIMEnT WITH THE COMPOSITIOn

Its a completely normal reaction to position the subject of your photograph slap-bang in the middle. Often, you dont give it a second thought and you point your camera so that the action takes place in the centre of the picture. The AF target mark in your view finder or on your display almost automatically forces you to do that. There is nothing wrong with that really, but the question is whether the photograph actually expresses that much action. There is a simple way to make your photograph more dynamic: the 1/3rd rule. Position the subject to the left or right of the centre, at a third of the picture. Through this, your composition will suggest movement and consequently be more exciting.
Stay sharp! To keep the photograph sharp, you point it at the subject and press the shutter button halfway to lock the focus. While you hold the button in this position, you adjust the cameras position. Once you have the desired composition, you shoot the photograph by pressing the shutter button completely. Your subject is no longer in the centre, but remains sharply in focus.

FOCUS On dETaILS
You usually shoot a nature photograph because a situation makes an impression on you. A rugged tree for example, or a bush full of beautiful spring blossom. Even so, its common for the photograph not to reflect the special feeling of beauty that affected you so much at that moment.
Less is more Commonly, this is because it is usually a part of the whole that provided the beauty. So not the entire bush, but the blossom. And not all the blossom, but that one that was absolutely perfect, light pink in colour. So try to discover what exactly it is that makes the natural beauty so attractive. Look out for the small details. Concentrate on those details and try to shoot them as attractively as possible. Dont forget the possibilities and limitations of your camera here. When zooming in, a lens requires a minimum distance with regard to the subject to be able to stay in focus.

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a QUICK TRICK FOR FaST SITUaTIOnS

One characteristic of animals is that they move. They often do so quickly too. This can cause focusing problems. Your camera has a solution for this too. Under S, Scene or Scenery youll find the mode sport. This keeps moving animals sharply in focus without you having to manually adjust all the settings.

ZOOMInG In
Do you want to photograph animals at great distance, for example on safari? Then it is very important that you hold the camera very still when you zoom in. The smallest movement from your hand has great consequences for the sharpness of the final result. The same applies for compact cameras. They are treacherously light and, as a result, youre more likely to move with them.
Look for support Which is why you must stabilise the camera. You can do this through looking for support, for example the window sill in a safari jeep, the roof of a car or against a wall. It works even better if you put down the camera on a stable surface altogether. A bag of rice works really well, but youll get the best results with a tripod. This doesnt immediately have to be a big, extendable meter and a half high tripod. There are also very handy table tripods for smaller cameras.

Tips for Semi-Pros

Your compact camera has many more possibilities than have been discussed here for getting more out of yourself and more attractive photographs. Many people are hesitant about delving deeper into the menu and trying out new functions that they dont already know. Understandable, but certainly unnecessary. Experiment and dont let yourself be put off. And if you get stuck, just switch your camera off and start again! But perhaps youve been taking photographs for a while and the tips above are obvious to you. You may then benefit more from the following more advanced advice.

MaInTaIn COnTROL OVER MOVInG IMaGES

Tv

As said before, blur is a constant threat in moving subjects. You can automatically prevent this by setting your camera to sports mode, but many cameras also offer you the possibility of recording nature in action in sharp focus yourself. You do this by setting your camera to S or Tv. This is how you adjust the shutter time. Experiment and remember the basic principle that the faster the subject moves, the faster the shutter time must be. This can vary from leaves on trees blowing in the wind to a horse in full gallop racing by. Depending on your camera, you can set the shutter speed up to 1/2500s.

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EXPERIMEnT WITH dEPTH OF FIELd

Av

Especially in the case of close-ups of animals or plants you can achieve intriguing effects through setting the aperture yourself. Nothing is more attractive than a pinpoint sharp subject against a soft, misty background. Set your camera to A or Av mode and experiment to your hearts content. Again, a simple rule applies: the larger the aperture (for example F2.8), the hazier the background.

USE dIFFEREnT LEnSES FOR dIFFEREnT EFFECTS

You can buy different lenses for more professional cameras. Each with a specific objective and result. In this tip we will discuss the effect of wide angle, telephoto and macro lenses. Wide-angle lens In relative terms, a wide-angle lens causes an enlargement of everything that is close to the lens. You get an enlarged foreground against a normal background. This can produce dynamic, zany or funny effects. In the case of compact cameras, the lens is actually in the wide-angle position when you switch on the camera. Telephoto lens A telephoto lens draws distant objects in closer. It is very handy for shooting close-ups on safari, for example of an elephant on the horizon. Or for exceptional natural phenomena that are very far away. Generally, a compact camera wont really be able to manage such shots and youll require a telephoto lens of at least 200mm. An extra advantage of such a lens is that it isolates the subject from the background. As a result, the emphasis remains on your subject and the dcor behind becomes slightly hazy. Macro lens Every lens has a minimum and maximum distance between which the photographs remain sharply in focus. Some compact cameras have macro settings, but in general youll require a separate macro lens for detailed shots very close up. You can only use this with a single-lens reflex camera. There are also telephoto lenses with which you can make splendid macro photographs using an extension tube.

Fun comes first!

Shooting beautiful photographs is a skill. A precarious balance between technical possibilities and creativity. Perhaps this is especially true for nature photography. So if a photograph is sometimes disappointing, dont give up. Practice makes perfect. And remember most of all that its about having fun. The pleasure you experience from the unexpected possibilities of your camera. And from a new way of looking at the world around you. Heading off somewhere? Dont forget to take several memory cards, an extra rechargeable battery, ordinary batteries, a charger, lenses and a tripod with you. Visit www.canon-europe.com/store for a complete overview of handy accessories. Good luck!

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