There’s something spellbinding about wandering outdoors—camera or iPhone in hand, heart wide open, ready to catch a bird mid-flutter or a dew-kissed petal winking in the morning light. Whether you’re in a backyard jungle or a national park wonderland, nature photography is part treasure hunt, part love letter to the planet.
10 Tips to Guide Your Nature Photography
If you’re ready to chase shadows, flirt with golden hour, and make friends with squirrels (or at least not scare them off), here’s a list of helpful nature photography tips to guide your next adventure.
1. Think Like a Fox, Wait Like a Heron
Patience is your superpower. Wildlife and light don’t operate on your schedule. Sometimes you have to become part of the landscape—quiet, still, observant. Bring snacks. You might be waiting a while, but that sudden rustle in the leaves could be your masterpiece arriving on tiptoe. When the opportunity does arise, snap snap snap – the more shots you take, the better chance you will find you have the perfect photo.
2. Be a Gold Chaser (a.k.a. Golden Hour)
Sunrise and sunset are the fairy godmothers of photography. Everything turns soft, golden, and forgiving—like nature just applied a filter for you. Set your alarm early or linger late. The magic is worth the yawns.
3. Look Down, Way Down
Not every wow-shot is soaring overhead. Get low. I mean really low. Mushrooms, moss, beetles, and water droplets can be jaw-droppingly photogenic if you crouch, crawl, or lie flat on your belly (yes, you’ll look ridiculous—it’s part of the fun).
4. Make Friends With “Manual Mode”
Camera: Auto is fine for brunch selfies. But in the wild? It’s time to take the wheel. Play with aperture (for those creamy blurred backgrounds), shutter speed (freeze that hummingbird!), and ISO (for the moody shadows of dusk). iPhone? Play with the settings, the filters, the lighting, the focus. Don’t worry—it’s not math, it’s magic with knobs, buttons and sliders.
5. Keep Your Distance, But Zoom With Love
For wildlife, a respectful distance isn’t just ethical—it’s practical. A good telephoto lens or the zoom settings on your iPhone lets you get those intimate close-ups without disturbing your subject. Let them be wild, let them be free, let them forget you exist while you click away in awe.
6. Listen With Your Eyes
Sometimes the most breathtaking moments don’t shout—they whisper. A flick of a fox tail, a butterfly landing on a thistle, the way wind moves through tall grass. Cultivate stillness. Watch for small wonders. They’re usually the most unforgettable.
7. Weather Is Not the Enemy
Fog? Dramatic. Rain? Textured. Snow? Pure poetry. Don’t shy away from “bad” weather—just prepare your gear (and your toes). Some of the most atmospheric shots are born when nature is moody.
8. Tell Tiny Stories with Your Nature Photography
A single photo can hold a whole tale. Capture the frog and the lily pad, the ant with its crumb, the leaf that curled just so. Nature is a thousand short stories happening at once. Zoom in and be the storyteller.
9. Embrace the Unexpected (a.k.a. Squirrel Photobombs Welcome)
You can plan your shot. You can frame your composition. And then a raccoon walks into frame, sniffs your tripod, and steals the show. Let it happen. The best moments are rarely the ones you expected.
10. Say Thank You
When you’re done snapping, take a minute to just… be there. Put the camera down. Breathe. Thank the tree. Thank the sky. Gratitude makes you a better photographer. Because the lens may focus the shot—butyour heart focuses the intention.
So go ahead—grab your camera, tie on your boots or go barefoot, and let nature dazzle you. The world is full of small miracles waiting to be noticed. And you? You’re just the kind of person to notice them.
Happy wandering, wild one.
Patty Levine of Ooh! I Love That has been an avid photographer for decades. Whether it’s people, florals, flatlays, landscapes or animals, a scroll through her camera roll is sure to make you smile!
