Outdoor, nature or wildlife photography is an exciting pastime for everyone with a camera, whether they’ve just picked up a camera or have been shooting for years. When you’re shooting in the wilderness, you’re not in control of your environment, so you never know what might come your way. You’re capturing real life as it happens and nature in all its raw and revealing glory.
Of course, with this uncertainty comes some challenges. You’re shooting while exposed to the environment, so it’s vital that you’re prepared for what the great outdoors can throw at you. And while the UK may not be home to bears or snowy slopes, there are risks that come with traversing the wilderness with your camera.
Safety tips for outdoor photography in the UK
Here are some tips for how to ensure that you’re safe while shooting and that you capture the very best image possible outdoors.
Know your environment
Knowing the terrain and environment that you’re shooting in is essential for your physical safety and for getting the perfect shot. You need to take the time to research where you want to shoot—what kind of terrain is underfoot, what kind of weather to expect, and where the light is at different times of the day.
In the UK, sunset can be around 10 pm in summer, which makes shooting outdoors easier. But it also means you need to plan for the lighting conditions. The weather also fluctuates, so you need to know what to expect. Plus, there is some dangerous terrain, and you need to know details such as which cliff faces to stay away from and which caves may be affected by the tides.
If possible, go to the site where you want to shoot two or three times at different times of the day before you trek out with all of your gear. During these reconnaissance missions, check out where the sun is coming from, and look for good spots to safely set up your equipment.
Research your subject matter
This point is particularly important if you’re shooting wildlife, but it also applies to landscape photography. You want to know the general behavioural patterns of the animals you’re hoping to capture on camera. If they’re nocturnal creatures, like foxes, you’ll be wasting your time setting up early in the day.
For landscape photography, you want to look at when particular flowers are open or how the trees and plants react to different weather conditions. You can get some amazing photographs if you do a little bit of research and planning ahead of time.
Pack appropriate clothes and gear
Your research should show you some very important information—what kind of conditions you’ll be shooting in. It’s vital for wilderness photography that you dress appropriately. This means good hiking shoes, proper protective gear for the heat or the cold, and layers for potentially changing conditions. You may also need to invest in climbing gear.
In terms of camera gear, you need to pack appropriately too. If rain or moisture is expected—which it often is in the UK—you need protective coverings and microfibre towels for your camera and lenses. If there will be a lot of direct sunlight, you want to ensure you have good-quality filters for your lenses so that you can still capture the image on the right settings.
You also want to think about your tripod, as it needs to be able to withstand the outdoors.
Don’t be afraid to zoom
Finally, let’s look at framing and composing your shot. Outdoor photography is very different from capturing images in a studio or an environment where you control all aspects. In the wilderness, you need to select what you put into your shot by where you place your camera, which lens you use, and how much you zoom in or out.
It’s often tempting to zoom out and capture everything around you. This doesn’t always tell the most compelling story, though. You still need to compose your shot, and sometimes that means cutting or cropping out various elements.
A good zoom lens can be your best friend on an outdoor shoot. It’s not always possible to get up close and personal with your subject matter, so you need to be able to zoom in without losing quality or compromising on settings. You might also want to throw in a macro lens so that you can get truly into the minute detail of your subject matter.
Making the most out of your photography
A large part of photography success for many is how they share that image. Social media is great for getting admiration from your peers. However, you might want to take your photography to the next level. Here are some steps for that.
Enter competitions
There are a myriad of competitions online for photography. There are the big ones, like the Wildlife Photographer of the Year from the Natural History Museum. This is open to anyone; you don’t have to be a professional UK photographer.
Just remember, if you’re entering a competition online, do some research first to ensure the competition is legitimate. You may also want to check if the prizes are available for you if they’re international competitions.
Create an online portfolio
If you want to sell your work or get hired as a professional photographer, having an online portfolio is the way to go. With a portfolio website, you’ll have a great space to show off to potential clients. It’s much easier and cheaper than printing out a portfolio and carrying it with you everywhere.
Research framing and mounting options
When selling photographs, you need to have framing or mounting options ready to go for your customers. Take the time to research those properly and have your go-to suppliers ready for whenever an order comes in. It’s important that you know how to calculate profit margin so that you’re selling your images for the right price and getting something out of it after you take framing or mounting into account.
Research and patience are the key factors
Once you’ve done all your research and planning, getting the best shot often comes down to patience. There’s no telling when that perfect shot will come along—it could be mere seconds after you set up, or it could be several hours later. A healthy dose of patience will allow you to capture that moment.
Featured image: Martin Bennie/Unsplash
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