How to Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography

Are you interested in learning how to create inspirational and motivational Nature Photography? Well, you have come to the right place! Photography doesn’t have to be difficult to learn. In fact, there are so many Cameras and IOS Devices out there that make it so much easier now! The best news is that Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography can help so many people in so many ways! It is great for those looking for a new hobby to get them into Nature even more, especially if you love RV Camping! It is also great for those with Special Needs who love nature, and even those (like me) who have Anxiety and are looking for a way to creatively decompress from daily stressors.

 

We want to be sure to invite you to join us for our FREE 31-Day Nature Photography Challenge before we get started! Go ahead and join now and then come back for all the information you need to get started!

 

 

Nature Photography as a Hobby

Nature Photography is great Hobby for anyone! I have many friends who participate in a daily photo challenge by taking a word that is given to them and then going out into nature wherever they are and taking a photo of what that word represents for them in their part of the world. Some of these people are retired, some are working and on-the-go in the city often, and others are stay at home parents who simply love the Photography Hobby! Whatever reason you or wherever you are in the world, Nature Photography is absolutely a great Hobby for anyone!

 

 

Nature Photography While RV Camping

RV Camping can be a great time to try Nature Photography as a new hobby. There is so much in nature to photograph that the possibilities are endless! By participating in nature photography while RV Camping, you are blessed with the additional option of photographing things you don’t normally see at home. The nature factor is a huge example. The birds, plants, animals, landscape are all different, the entire scenery is different and that opens a whole new world of photography related options! If you travel to the country, seaside, lakeside, ocean front, or a forest area, there is sure to be something new that you wouldn’t see at home. Just think about how many things you can photo-journal about while RV Camping!

 

 

Nature Photography for Those with Special Needs

Our son, Aiden, enjoys everything relating to RV Camping, Nature, and Photography. He especially loves to take his own nature photos. I have found a great way to use the iPad Mini 4 with my son, Aiden, to create an Awesome Photography Experience for him! He can now engage in Photography and especially his love for Nature Photography by using the iPad Mini along with an adapted Mount and Stand. If you are looking for a great mount, I have 2 that work wonders for us! The first is the Levo Deluxe iPad Floor Stand with wheels and the second, the Levo Deluxe Table Clamp Stand. We have them both. We use them both!

First, the Levo Deluxe iPad Floor Stand is what we use with Aiden all over the house. It is a bit heavy, but it moves very easily on wheels throughout our home with hardwoods. It can be moved into TONS of positions from sitting up to lying down in bed so it is great for those with special needs and the elderly as well!

Second, the Levo Deluxe Table Clamp Stand is what we attach to his wheelchair (you do have to have a flat location to mount it) but when you find that perfect location for it, it is AWESOME!!!.

Finally, the Levo Book Platform Kit is an additional accessory option that is interchangeable with the iPad Platform!!

We never have to worry about tipping like most floor stands we have tried in the past because these are all VERY STURDY! You simply attach the iPad platform. It can be used in Portrait or Landscape mode and switches back and forth very quickly- important for photography! If you are choosing to use the Levo Deluxe iPad Floor Stand or the Levo Deluxe Table Clamp Stand for photography like I stated above, you will need to make a minor adjustment to the piece that holds the iPad on the stand. I will show what that needs to look like next.

You will need to cut a piece out of it to allow for the iPad Camera to “see through” it.

   

We also use the iPad Mini 4 Otterbox Defender Series Case . Not so much because Aiden drops the iPad, but BECAUSE HIS MOM DOES! There is also this great SlipGrip Tripod Mount for the iPad Mini 4! It is actually designed to hold the Otterbox Defender Series Case! We use this with a regular Tripod when traveling and it works well.

We simply use a Remote Shutter for iPhone/iPad Mini Wireless Remote Control Selfie Button for him to take the photos with his iPad Mini. The 2 Pack Wireless Camera Remote Control – Wireless Remote for iPhone & Android Phones iPad iPod Tablet, Clicker for Photos & Videos works great as well. We have both and use both!

 

 

Nature Photography for Those with Anxiety

As I mentioned earlier, creating Nature Photography can really help those with anxiety. I know it has certainly helped ME to “deal with” Anxiety quite a bit!  I can’t help but be calmer and more relaxed when in nature and really looking for those unique photo opportunities to capture wildlife and landscapes (Birds and pretty much anything in the sky is my absolute favorite). It certainly doesn’t hurt that I must “look up” for those photographic moments!

 

 

How to Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography

So, where do YOU begin to Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography? That’s where I can help! I have had a lot of experience over the past few years with Photography and teaching Photography to my son, like I mentioned earlier, who has special needs and needs adaptive equipment for help in learning nature photography. Therefore, I am going to share the Tips and Tricks that I have found with all of you in ALL AREAS of Nature Photography that I can think of!

 

I am going to begin with the Basics of Photography and the Devices. I will share with you my favorite equipment for taking Nature Photography including the very user-friendly Nikon Coolpix L840 Digital Camera with 38x Optical Zoom and Built-In Wi-Fi, using an iPhone for Nature Photography, and of course using the iPad Mini 4 but you will be able to follow through with all my suggestions using most cameras, iPhones and iPads. So, let’s get started!

 

 

Here is a list of what we will discuss:

1. Nature Photography and Choosing Your Subject
2. Basic Point and Shoot Nature Photography with devices listed above
3. Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography in Detail
4. Editing and Enhancing Your Photos
5. Telling a Story with Your Images with Photojournalism
6. Creating a Copyright for each of your photos
7. Sharing your photos on social media

 

1. Nature Photography and Choosing Your Subject

Nature:

It is all around us every single day, so capturing nature photos is an easy thing to do and a great place to start in the photography field. Whether you’re taking photos of landscapes, the sky or wildlife it’s all around you, so jump on it every day!

The iPhone and iPad Mini are great ways to capture Nature Photography. You don’t have to carry around a bunch of photography equipment; just slip it your pocket and you’re ready to go! Best of all, most of us always carry our iPhones with us!

 

Nature Subjects:

There are MANY options for areas of Nature Photography to focus on. I suggest picking 1 or 2 to begin with and then when you have mastered those add more! Don’t feel like you must drive to the country or some far-away land to find the beauty of nature, it is as simple as looking into your everyday, natural surroundings! Of course, you can always modify your surroundings to attract more nature!

 

Subjects to consider:

The Four Seasons: Summer, Fall, Winter & Spring
Landscape Ideas: Flowers, Trees, Country, Woods, Meadows, Mountains, Waterfalls, Beach, Forest
Wildlife: Birds (My Bird Album App used to organize your bird photographs), Insects, Animals large and small (REMEBER TO BE SAFE!)
Weather: Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail, Ice, Wind, Fog, Storms in any season, Severe, Lightening (REMEBER TO BE SAFE!)
Sky: Night, Stars, Sunsets, Moon, Planets, Clouds, Sunny, Morning, Rainbow, Airplane View, Sunrise

 

 

2. Basic Point and Shoot Nature Photography

When you find that perfect Nature Scenery, you don’t want to spend a ton of time trying to get your camera ready for the shot. Thankfully with all the devices I’m discussing, you don’t have to!

 

iPhone/iPad:

From the home screen on your iPhone or iPad, tap on the Camera App. or swipe down from the top corner of your iPhoneX (or swipe up from bottom edge of iPad Mini 4) to open the Control Center, then tap the Camera Icon, then simply tap the Shutter Button to take your photo! You can also download the Enlighten Quickshot App for fast shooting and editing.

 

Nikon Coolpix L840 Camera:

Remove the Lens Cap, Press the ON/OFF button on top, press the camera icon (mine is green), select “Scene Auto Selector”, click “OK” then press the Shutter Release Button to take your photo!

 

 

3. Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography in Detail

Focusing:

The iPhone and iPad will autofocus for you. However, it may not be focusing on exactly what YOU want it to focus on, so therefore you must change this by touching the screen where you want it to focus! Super easy, right? When using your Coolpix Camera, you will need to set it. You do this by entering the shooting mode, pressing the arrow down button to get to the Auto Mode selection and pressing “OK”. Not too hard either!

 

The Importance of Lighting:

Shooting in the best lighting is very important in all field of Photography but with Nature related Photography it’s even more important. The view that you have can be beautiful and in the wrong lighting, photos can turn out all wrong.

Things to consider with lighting:
Always be looking where light is coming from
What that light is doing?
Is the light creating shadows?
Is the light creating highlighting?
Getting the best lighting can be hard for Photographers and sometimes the photo just needs to be enhanced ever-so-slightly to create the perfect image. Using the Snapseed App can dramatically enhance the lighting in your photos.

 

The Rule of Thirds:

Most people who are just starting out with photography think it’s best to just have your subject in the middle of the photo frame and shoot and sometimes that is best but usually putting the subject off to one side or the other causing the viewer to start at the outer edge of the image and work their way to the middle, capturing the entire image instead of just one single focus point. This makes the photograph much more pleasing to the eye. You can do this by using the gridlines with the iPhone, iPad and the Coolpix Camera. Using the gridlines that automatically divide your screen into thirds, simply chose one of the 4 spots where the lines intersect and place your subject there in the shooting frame. I love using this method and once you try it and get the hang of it and continue practicing this method, I think it will become one of your favorite ways to take Nature Photography as well!

 

Background:

The background of the area you are getting ready to shoot is probably the last thing on your mind, especially if it a moving object and you are limited to how much time you have to take that shot! However, the background of an image is really an important key to creating the perfect Nature Photo! Keep this in mind, the background is something you should think of first, otherwise, if it’s distracting background, it can take away from your intended beautiful photo.
Making the following changes to your photos can be done with your iPhone, iPad, or Downloading your Photos to your iPhone/iPad from your Nikon Coolpix L840 Camera! That’s right, they work for ALL those devices!

 

4. Editing and Enhancing Your Photos

Like I said earlier, the very best way to edit and enhance your Nature Photos is to download the Snapseed App, but there are a few others that can do a great job enhancing your photos. The Photo Lab Filters App, Rookie Cam App and/or the VSCO Cam App are all great additional Apps to have downloaded to your iPhone/iPad. You can edit, enhance, create realistic effects, and apply stylish digital filters to achieve your photo goals with these Apps! Best of all, they’re FREE!

 

Creating Silhouette Effects with Your Photos:

A fun way to add some style to your Nature Photos is by adding Silhouette Effects to them. I suggest downloading the free Silhouette Image Maker App.

 

Creating Panoramic Photos:

Get a wider view of Nature can be a wonderful experience for you and your viewers. A Panoramic Photo is the perfect way to achieve this type of image. Panoramic Photos are available to take by all 3 devices we are discussing.

With your iPad/iPhone, it works the same way. You will see the option of “PANO” at the bottom of the screen on the Camera App. When you select this option, a line appears and states “Move iPhone/iPad continuously when taking a Panorama. Tap the shutter button, then hold the iPhone/iPad very carefully, move it continuously, always keeping the arrow centered with that line. Make sure you look at the small “window” on left side of the arrow and NOT the main screen! Using the Panomatic-360 App while taking photos with your iPhone/iPad is another great addition to creating Panoramic Photos and of course, it’s free!

 

Taking Panoramic Photos with your Coolpix Camera can be just as easy to setup. Enter the shooting mode and arrow down to the 2nd icon from the top, then press the right arrow button to bring up more choices. Arrow down to “Easy Panorama” option and then the “Normal” option and press “OK”. Use the shutter button to do the same scan as discussed above.

Taking Panoramic Nature Photography does take some practice but when you master it, you can create some spectacular Panoramic Views!

 

 

5. Telling a Story with Your Images with Photojournalism

THIS is where it all comes together Folks! Photojournalism is where you take everything you have learned, roll it all together, and make a beautiful display for yourself and others to enjoy! You can put it all together in a few ways and I’m going to list a few here.

 

Quotes, Text, and Artwork:

Nature Photography can generate such inspirational and motivational moments for many. Creating Quotes of your own to go along with your Photos can be very inspirational for you and others who read and see these photos. Take a look at the App called Visual Verse and you will see exactly what I’m referring to! This amazingly, beautifully fashioned App shows you many examples of Nature Photography with Quotes built from Cheerful, Romantic, Passionate, Lonely, Melancholy and even Furious Themes. It also includes calming music to listen to while scrolling through the photos or sit back, relax and let the App play through the photos for you.

 

Adding Nature related Quotes and Text to YOUR PHOTOS makes them even more beautiful, creating a form of Photo Journaling aspect to them. You can also add Artwork to your photos, although I don’t recommend overdoing this because you really want YOUR photo to be the basis of the appearance and not overdoing artwork forms to it. Original is BEST but if you really feel like your photo needs enhancements, then try the Font Candy App and/or Over App. Using Quotes is Awesome, but too many enhancements can really alter your photos in a negative way.

 

Slide-Shows:

Creating a Slide Show, especially one with music of your choice, is an amazing way to bring your Nature Photography all together. Try using the Slide Show Maker App to create a slideshow with music for your photos!

 

Fun Layouts:

Layout from Instagram is a great App to download to create one-of-a-kind photo layouts for your Nature Photos. I use this a lot when taking multiple photos of birds and wanting to have them in a layout for each species. Yes, it’s free!

 

 

6. Creating a Copyright for each of your photos:

Having a Copyright on all your Nature Photography is very important! It is a property right under the Federal Government Act of 1976 and will protect you from the moment you take your photo. Please Copyright all your photos as soon as you take them. You can use the iWatermark App and create your personalized Copyright Protection for FREE. Getting credit for your beautiful Nature Photography is important. If your photo goes Viral, you want that photo to show YOUR CREDIT! Don’t forget that Copyright!

 

7. Sharing your Photos on social media

What good is a beautiful Nature Photo if it’s not shared with everyone to enjoy it?? Sharing Photos (with or without layouts), Slide Shows, and Quoted Photos on social media is something that is very easy to do, so get to it! SOWLE RV would love to see your Nature Photos, so be sure to share them with us as well!

 

Conclusion of How to Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography

That is the conclusion of How to Create Inspirational and Motivational Nature Photography. We hope this helps to inspire and motivate you to give Nature Photography a try no matter where you are located! Just relax and enjoy the experience. Remember it is for fun and doesn’t have to perfect every time! Like my favorite Photography shirt says, “Life is Like Photography. You focus on what is important, capture the good times, develop the negative, and if things don’t work out just take another shot!”