If you’re just starting out in nature photography, or if you got yourself a new shiny DSLR, things can be a little overwhelming.  Your aspirations are high, but perhaps you’re frustrated because you’re not getting the results you want.  Never fear, though, because ALL photographers suck when they first start out.  Galen Rowell? Sucked.  Frans Lanting?  Yup, he sucked too.  Me?  Man, I REALLY sucked!

But we all got better, and so can you.  By understanding how your camera works, and by understanding a little bit about light and perspective, you can start cranking off those killer shots in no time!

This section, Nature Photography 101, comprises a series of essays designed to familiarize you with the most fundamental aspects of your camera and how you can control those elements to get the pictures you want.  We’ll also go over the basics of composition as well as how to make your images look their best, using digital darkroom techniques.

When you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, you can hop on up to the more advanced techniques in the Nature Photography 201 section.  And as you go along, make sure you check out the posts in Notes From the Field, where I talk about my photos and all the decisions I made in the creation of those images.

But for now, let’s begin at the beginning.

Nature Photography 101:

Nature Photography as Art

Getting off Auto Mode

Part 1 of 6: Understanding Exposure
Part 2 of 6: Understanding Shutter Speed
Part 3 of 6: Understanding Aperture, part i
Part 3 of 6: Understanding Aperture, part ii
Part 4 of 6: Understanding ISO
Part 5 of 6: Exposure Revisited
Part 6 of 6: White Balance: Why your eye rocks!

Composition 101

Focal Length
Fill the Frame
Rule of Thirds
Get Rid of the Sky!
Leading Lines
Perspective is Everything
Lighting is Everything
Balance
Level Your Horizons
Just Because It’s a Wolf Doesn’t Make It a Good Picture
Focus on the Eyes

Post-Processing 101

What is post-processing and why do we need it?
Introducing the Raw file
Photoshop Basics
Adjustment Layers (Destructive vs Non-Destructive Editing)
Contrast Adjustments
Color Adjustments (balance, saturation)
Sharpening
Saving / Image Quality / Web Presentation

Glossary of Terms