Back to Nature in British Columbia by Jeff Kent

September 8, 2008

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Back to Nature in British Columbia by Jeff Kent

You don't need a high powered DSLR to capture amazing nature photos - in this case the Olympus Camedia D-580 Zoom did the trick just as well.

Article rating: 8.57

This past summer, my sister and I took advantage of a rarely coinciding opening in our schedules to jet off on a trip together. Being outdoorsy types, we headed for the wilds of British Columbia. Our goal was to cover as much of the Canadian west coast as we could manage in nine days. We’d hike through old growth forests with 800-year old trees, walk windswept beaches on the exposed Pacific coast, and paddle around secluded bays teeming with marine life. Somewhere in there I figured I’d take a few pictures.

Now, I’ve done plenty of photography for magazines while on travel article assignments over the years. When I’m on those jobs, I bring a full SLR setup with different lenses and all the appropriate accessories. However, when I travel for pleasure, I like to go light. These days, that means I limit my camera gear to one small digital point-and-shoot, in this case an Olympus Camedia D-580 Zoom.

A sunset is so much more interesting when you capture more than just colors. Try composing your image with a backlit object, like a sailboat, distant mountains or, as in this case, both.

A lot of people think you can’t get A-grade images from a pocket-sized point-and-shoot. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true. Used properly, today’s digital point-and-shoots can create remarkable photographs. We’re talking about the kind of images that will have your friends dripping with envy when they see all the cool places you visited on your vacation. It just takes a little perspective, a little creativity, and a good sense of the capabilities of your equipment.

With that in mind, and using my trip to B.C. as a guide, I’m offering a few tips for taking great nature photographs with your handy, pocket-sized point-and-shoot. You really can take great pictures with these cameras. Remember, your vision is the most important piece of equipment you own.

Think photographically.
How many times have you taken a picture of an amazing landscape, only to look at the print later and be utterly disappointed? All those interesting rocks, colorful trees and little streams are barely discernable blips on your print. The problem is that your eyes capture a lot broader perspective, and a lot more detail, than you could ever reproduce in a photographic print.

Objects in the foreground can be used to frame a distant subject, adding depth and interest to the composition.

Work to your camera’s capabilities. Consider zooming in on a particular part of the landscape. Frame your images so that you’re concentrating on the most interesting aspects. Even with a small, fixed lens and a 3X zoom, you can compose images that accomplish this to impressive effect. If the most interesting element in a scene is a piece of twisted driftwood wedged against a rock, then compose your image around that feature, rather than standing back and photographing a wide, nondescript shot of the entire beach.

Also, consider your final output. Think to yourself, ‘How will this image look as a print hanging on my wall?’ When you print out your images, the product is bound to pale in comparison to the real thing. Even larger prints fail to capture all the detail you can see with your naked eye. So make sure you get what matters most and eliminate the rest. Photography isn’t always about what’s in the frame; sometimes it’s about what’s not in the frame.

Add perspective.
I’m not saying you should skip the broad panoramas. Believe me, on the British Columbia trip, I filled my memory card with plenty of wide shots of the rough-and-tumble landscape. However, I always, always made sure to add perspective into my images. The most common mistake amateur photographers make when photographing landscapes is not providing that perspective. Yes, that 10,000-foot mountain is impressive, but if you don’t give it scale, it just looks like little hill behind some trees.

Luckily, adding perspective is a piece of cake. You just need to include something in your foreground. For example, if you’re shooting a distant mountain, don’t compose your frame with nothing between you and the base of the mountain. Instead, include a nearby bush or tree or rock, anything that can give scale. This also provides depth to your image, which is critical when you’re trying to portray a distant object of impressive size.

The trees in the foreground of this image provide depth and a sense of distance to the far-off islands.

Be detail oriented.
Mix it up. Many travelers get excited over shooting grand, expansive views, and they completely neglect the details that make those views so fascinating. What will be more appealing when it’s printed and framed, an empty view of the ocean, or a close-up of a colorful starfish in a tidal pool? Sometimes a tight shot of a flower or the twisted roots of a tree can have the same impact as a magnificent mountainscape.

Interesting details are all around you. When you’re in a beautiful landscape, stop to look down and around, rather than just off in the distance. You’ll be surprised at what you see.

It takes more than a sunset.
Sunsets are a great example of scenes that are stunning in person but often bland when photographed. Taken by itself, that stunning sunset over the open ocean may end up looking like a tiny light ball suspended over a nondescript mass of gray. So, rather than clicking away at the distant orb, step back, down, or to the side. Take in some of the nearby landscape. Frame the sunset with driftwood or plants. If there’s a boat on the water, or a distant island, throw it in your picture. These items often produce dramatic silhouettes when backlit by a dipping sun.

By themselves, the distant mountains would be less than impressive when reproduced in a standard-size photograph. Adding the foreground detail of the rocky coastline adds depth and makes the image more striking.

Frame your focus.
Nature is full of features you can use as a natural frame — tree branches, rock formations, even the ground. Try using these elements to frame your main focus. Rather than stepping by that low-hanging tree branch, include it at the top of your composition for a natural frame. This technique provides depth and perspective to your image. It also provides another dimension of detail, especially if your subject is a distant landscape feature.

Don’t forget the human element.
You may be awe-struck by the natural scenery around you, but don’t forget the human element. I’m not necessarily talking about a snapshot of grinning Uncle Earl waving from the beach in his embarrassingly short swim trunks. No, I’m talking about using people to add dimension to your photographs. People can serve as elements in your frame. They can add perspective and depth. In the narrow frame of a photograph, it may be difficult to determine the width of a giant Douglas Fir tree, or the size of a cloud-shrouded island, unless there’s a person in the frame to lend perspective. Also, consider your viewer when you show off your images later on. People like to have things put to them in human terms. So when you can lend a human perspective to the enormity of nature, it makes it much more impressive.

Sometimes the beauty is in the details. Stop to look down and around. Capture the little things that make nature so fascinating, not just the grand panoramas.

Watch the light.
Photography is not the practice of capturing objects; it’s the practice of capturing light falling on objects. Light is the most important element in photography, bar none.

The hours just after dawn and just before sundown are considered “the magic light.” At these times, light from the sun is hitting your part of the world at a lower angle with relation to the horizon, producing a golden glow. This light is much easier to use than the harsh light of midday. If you’re set on photographing a particular landscape, try to time your shoot during this “magic light” time.

Also, look at the way light falls on particular objects. Dramatic light can make a normally mundane scene remarkably attractive. For example, golden, late-day sunlight peeking through a whole in the trees to form shapes on a rock or tree trunk.

Nature doesn’t have to be devoid of humanity. Even if it's a solitary figure silhouetted on a beach, the human element can add to your image. In this case, the lone beach walker provides scale for the fog-engulfed island of trees.

If you have to shoot at midday, try to diffuse the light if possible. For example, if you’re photographing your sister standing triumphantly at the top of a mountain, try to pose her under a canopy of leaves where the light has been filtered a little. It will reduce those high-contrast shadows that can block out facial details on your subject.

Enjoy Times without the Camera
My sister and I spent a day kayaking around Galiano Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands. About an hour into the trip, I reached into our waterproof stuff sack to discover that we’d left my camera behind in the car. (The argument about who left behind the camera still continues.) At first, I was dismayed. We were paddling alongside seals and all manner of water birds. We were cruising past bizarre rock formations and impressive seaside cliffs. Without the camera, I missed dozens of amazing photographs. However, I was also free to enjoy the kayak trip and take in the scenes around me. I didn’t have to worry about the camera getting wet. I wasn’t concerned with framing pictures or having my camera at the ready for the appearances of wildlife. I didn’t have to think about anything other than enjoying the outing. When a seal surfaced five feet from my kayak, I didn’t scramble to pull out my camera and start clicking away at the startled little fellow. Instead, we just stared at each other inquisitively for a few minutes and then went our separate ways. That mental image will always be with me. I doubt any picture could live up to it.

Try using an open-ended frame—in this case the backlit tree and its shadow—to move the viewer’s eye toward the more interesting elements of your composition.

You’re on vacation, after all. Especially if you’re out in the wild, make sure you look up from the back of your camera and enjoy the experience. Taking great pictures can be rewarding, but making great memories is even more gratifying. Unless you’re photographing for money, make your camera an extension of your experience, not the definition of your experience.

Photograph for you.
Lastly, keep in mind that photography is a subjective art form. You could take pictures of famous landmarks all day long, but if those images don’t move you, then they’ll just end up hiding in some forgotten folder on your computer. Photograph what inspires you. Not only will you enjoy the process more, but your images will come out better, and you’ll treasure them for years to come.

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