Essential tips for capturing breathtaking nature photography.

Nature photography for beginners: Overcoming outdoor challenges.

When shooting outdoors, there are several things to keep in mind. Thanks to inclement weather, constantly changing light and uncooperative wildlife, nature photography shoots are different every time. As renowned animal and wildlife photographer Carli Davidson says, “Studio photographers have waking nightmares about having to shoot in nature because it’s such an uncontrolled environment.”

For those used to studio setups, outdoor photography offers a new perspective. It forces you to:

• Adapt creatively to changing light.
• Anticipate animal movement and behaviour.
• Embrace imperfections in your shots as part of the scene’s authenticity.

These challenges make nature photography both rewarding and creatively fulfilling.

• Make the “Golden Hour” your best friend

Animal photography in the wild.

When it comes to capturing wildlife and animals in motion, preparedness is key. Here are key animal photography tips:

• Use a fast shutter speed to freeze motion
• Avoid camera shake by using image stabilisation or a tripod
• Keep your distance — patience and silence are your best tools

Animals can be tricky to find and hard to track. And while you may not see them, they definitely see you. Sometimes you’ll immediately stumble upon a great shot or a rare animal; otherwise, you’ll have to practice patience. Just when you decide no moose will show up, one could pop out of the woods a few yards away.

Birds are a great subject because they’re everywhere, but Carlson says, “Unless you’re shooting a hummingbird feeder, none of the birds will be very close. If you use a mid-range lens, you will capture the bird, but it will be a tiny speck. Depending on the resolution of your camera, you can zoom in and you might still have a good shot.” This is one reason why understanding the limits of your gear is so important. It can help you to make artistic choices in the moment and influence what you choose to capture with each shot. Having access to a zoom lens can greatly improve your photos of wild animals, although it also increases the amount of gear you're carrying.

Animals are not always willing subjects — even when they’re trained pets. Approach your shoot with a plan in mind and be prepared to work with your photos in post-processing. Editing tools like Adobe Lightroom can help refine your images and turn decent photos into captivating nature photos.

Understand the basics of plant and flower photography.

Plants, when it comes to predictability, are the perfect subject. “The tricky thing is depth of field,” teacher and nature photographer Ben Long says. “When you’re getting close to a flower, your depth of field will be shallow, so you may not get all the details that you want in focus.” Bring a tripod with you so you can use longer exposures and smaller apertures to make your depth of field deeper. While you have more control over your subject with plant photography, you still have the elements to deal with. Don’t let a breeze ruin your long exposure. Try shielding your subject or bring clamps to hold the flower in place.

Davidson suggests shooting in aperture priority mode to give you more control over depth of field. Plants are an agreeable subject, but they’re also a very common subject. Rather than being intimidated by this, Davidson says this “allows you to play and try new things.” Although plant photography may seem simple, it's a great opportunity to push your creativity. Find new ways to make everyday natural elements look extraordinary.

Nature photography tips for landscapes.

Shooting landscapes is its own skill, but it also falls within the category of nature photography. To capture the best possible shot, landscape photographer Samuel Nute says, “Be patient for the conditions to line up and try to get a different spin on popular landscapes.” Outside of dealing with the weather, finding your voice and style is the most challenging part of landscape photography.

Nature in focus: How creators in India are capturing the outdoors.

In Bangalore’s Cubbon Park, where vibrant wildflowers bloom across shaded trails, a nature photographer can capture stunning macro shots by planning their shoot for early morning light. Using manual camera settings to balance exposure and isolate the subject, even small wildflowers can become centrepieces of a frame.

Once back from the field, Adobe Lightroom’s features like Select Subject masking, Vibrance adjustment, and the Detail panel can be used to enhance texture and colour without oversaturating the background. Creators can also apply healing tools to remove minor distractions like fallen petals, and use batch presets to maintain a consistent look across a floral series.

This workflow reflects how creators in India are combining field techniques with Lightroom's targeted editing tools to elevate their nature photography and transform raw captures into refined visual stories.