Nature photography as an art form has been around for a long time, but recently it has found respect on the walls of up-market galleries. This is a big change from 20 years ago, when nature photography was only considered worthy of second-rate postcards and calendars.

Over the years, postcards and calendars began to improve in quality as nature photographers with real talent entered the industry. High quality posters of whales, wolves, elephants and spectacular landscapes from around the world were suddenly worthy of framing. Finally nature photography galleries began to appear and, more importantly, turn a profit.

When I opened my gallery in 1993, many people still felt that you could not make a living selling photography; that people would only buy paintings to hang on their walls. These days, new galleries are opening everywhere; some good, some not so good, and a few that have really hit the big time.

All this activity in the world of nature photography has inspired new generations of photographers to look at nature photography as a hobby or possible profession. These new nature photographers grew up in a very different world than the one I come from. Technology that was unimagined back then is now commonplace, and new photographers have more power in their hands than ever before. But what implications does all this technology have for nature photography?

Nature photographers must now decide how much they will allow their photography to be influenced by technology. In earlier days, good nature photography required a very simple approach; find a great subject, in the best possible light, and use your skill with a camera to capture what you saw. Today it is quite a different story. A nature photographer can (if they choose) find a decent subject, photograph it in whatever lighting conditions they happen to find, then go home and completely alter the colours, the contrast, and even the detail of the picture. The result can be an image that owes more to the marvels of technology than to the wonders of nature.

Each to his own. It is not for me to judge the creative decisions of another photographer. But the question that is in the back of your mind right now deserves to be asked; is this nature photography?

Every photographer is entitled to pursue their craft any way they choose. Of course skills with computer software are just as creative as traditional nature photography skills. However, the person who views a photograph deserves to know what they are looking at, especially if that person is a customer prepared to part with their hard-earned money.

I know many photographers get quite defensive on this subject. Camera clubs around the world continue to wrestle with the issue of judging natural photos alongside manipulated photos. Some clubs have tried to divide competition into separate categories, only to find people sneaking their digitally altered photos into the unaltered category for equal recognition. Understandably, ’software photographers’ want their talents to be recognised on the same level as the ‘in-camera photographers’. And so they should, but not in a way that ignores the difference between the two disciplines.

This is not an attempt to denigrate the skills of the software photographers. It just seems to me that the viewer, and in particular the paying customer, deserves to know.

Increasingly the public is becoming suspicious of good photography. Anything that is outstanding or unusual is now assumed to have been altered or manipulated using computer software. In many cases, it probably has. Unfortunately, this suspicion gives little credit to the traditional photographer (and there are still plenty of us out there) who prefer to do the creative work in the field, before they press the shutter, and reproduce what was captured on the day.

You can’t imagine, unless it has happened to you, how frustrating it is to proudly display your best nature photography, only to hear people say ‘These days it’s all done with computers.’

For the record, my photography is as traditional as it can be in the digital age. Software is becoming essential to my work, as I go throught the process of scanning thousands of slides from my years of travel. Not to alter a photo, but to balance the colour and contrast to make sure the printed photograph matches the original slide. It is also an enormous benefit to finally be able to restore images that have been scratched or otherwise damaged by age.

I recognise that the trend towards using software to enhance and alter photos is not only inevitable, but just as legitimate as old fashioned nature photography. However, I continue to encourage people to learn true camera skills as well, so that the use of software to manipulate images is a creative choice, not a remedy for lack of ability. Thankfully, the demand for my ebooks suggests that there are plenty of people out there who feel the same way.

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do you like nature? see this!

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About Author

To see some Australian Nature Photography that is captured in the field, and reproduced from the original image on film, see Andrew Goodall’s work at http://www.naturesimage.com.au To learn the essential skills of better photography, you can also find Andrew’s ebooks and subscribe to the online newsletter…it’s free!

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A popular saying is that beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, but still some aspects exist that differentiate fine art from simply taking pictures in nature photography .

First and foremost , a photographer wanting to product real art needs to accept the fact that hundreds of pictures will need to be taken for every photo that is a contender for fine art. Often times , there is precious little a photographer can do when dealing with an unpredictable subject other than using quick reflexes and a whole lot of patience. The first aspect of fine art nature photography then is trying to capture a moment whenever it occurs . It’s easy to take a photo of a lion that is sleeping or a storm that hits a reservoir, but it’s the patient and focused photographer who can immortalize the airborne moment before a pounce , or the very first ripples as the rain falls on water.

Yet another aspect of creating nature photos that are fine art is to ensure you have the right equipment . One example, a good tripod is essential when shooting in nature not only to ensure the consistency of the shots , but to help the photographer avoid as much movement as they can as to not disturb the immediate environment . The proper lens for the type of photography one is doing is also important , for a 300/4 lens is going to produce a very different type of effect than a 20mm wide angle lens .

Lighting is another aspect that makes a huge difference between fine art nature photography and simple shots from the zoo . It’s easy to find natural light , and it’s the best, but only if it’s not midday sun that is harsh. One should also be familiar with not only the source of light , but also the ability to control it . Using umbrellas, reflective foils, and white boards might not be needed when taking nature photos depending on your time of shooting and the landscape you’re shooting. Once again , it’s imperative that you know the equipment you do and don’t need in order to produce the effect one desires .

As mentioned , beauty is in the eye of the beholder , but practices and techniques used will be seen in photos that can be called “fine art.” If your end goal is fine art nature photography, one must be patient, ready , must know what equipment is and is not needed, and in the end, must master the techniques of lighting used to get the effect desired . The rest is up to nature and chance .

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Amazing pictures of Mount Kenya and its surrounding landscape. Mountain water falls give a drink to antelope, elephants, plants, trees and other African wildlife. From the BBC.

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About Author

Fine art nature photography captures an instant in time and brings great memories to anyone. Keith Spangler is a professional photographer that specializes in images of fine art nature photography.

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