If you are relatively new to nature photography, you might be making some common mistakes. Most photographers have, at some point in their careers, often without realizing it! Correct these mistakes, and you'll notice a significant improvement in your work.

1. Bad lighting

Shooting in poor lighting conditions, without compensating for it, is a common mistake. Without proper light, it's challenging (if not impossible) to capture the level of detail needed for excellent nature photography.

Low light or harsh, midday sun are poor lighting conditions. Bright midday sun can wash out an image, while poor lighting will give you blurry or grainy photos. To address these, you can do the following:

Avoid the midday sun and low-lighting conditions.
Shoot during what's known as "the golden hour" - the hours right around sunrise or just before sunset.
Also, shooting during cloudy or hazy skies to diffuse the harsh daylight is good. This is particularly good for colorful nature photography.

2. Low-contrast scenes

Another common mistake is shooting low-contrast photos that don't seem to work. Strive for crisp contrast between light and dark in your images for more interest and drama. Most low-contrast images are like compositions without a clear subject.

The eye doesn't quite know where to look. While low-contrast can work for artistic effect in some cases, a general rule of thumb is if you want exciting and creative images, avoid it. Look for subjects that stand out from the background.

3. Shooting angle

The angle you shoot from really matters to an image, but many nature photographers seem to forget that rule of thumb! Too many photographers shoot nature from an angle that's higher than the subject. That means they're shooting down toward the subject. If you're shooting macro photography or wildlife, you definitely do not want to do this. It can be perceived as an unnatural angle that creates a sense of separation from the viewer to the subject.

If you're shooting nature, you should ideally shoot at the same level as your subject. That could mean squatting down or finding a way to move up in height. Instead of shooting down, try to get level (even eye-level) with your subject. You can experiment with this by taking two shots: one from above shooting downward and another level with the subject.

Lastly, try shooting from several angles - all of them level with the subject but changing your position to create exciting shots.

4. Background

Unless you're shooting macro-photography (and maybe even then), the background could affect your nature photographs. With macro photography, the background is blurred, so it's not likely to matter. With most nature pictures, however, the background does matter.

One of the most common mistakes nature photographers make is not paying enough attention to what's behind the subject. The result is a background that distracts from the subject. You want to avoid this!

Instead, strive for a background that is simple, not distracting. Be sure there aren't any colors, shapes, or lines that draw the eye away from the subject. Basically, you want a simple-looking background that allows the subject to stand out.

Your background shouldn't take away your viewer's attention but help build a composition that highlights the subject even more.

5. Point of focus

It's easy enough to find a beautiful landscape you want to shoot. The trick is to be certain there is a point of focus (a subject), or your composition will be problematic. Without a point of focus, the viewer's eye doesn't have a place to land.

Every image needs a subject on which to focus, even if it's a landscape, even if it's nature photography. You need a subject in the foreground and the background. Ideally, the eye should go to the foreground subject, which then draws the eye to the background. If you're shooting wildlife, and it's in the foreground, that becomes the main subject. Easy enough! If you're shooting macro images, then there's a subject in the foreground. Make sure you compose it well and that it's entirely in focus.

6. Post-processing

Lastly, don't skip the post-processing! That's where too many inexperienced nature photographers go wrong. Even the most experienced photographers need to do some touch-ups or enhancements during post-processing. Yes, there will be times when you produce a perfect image in the field with no edits. But those tend to be the exception rather than the norm. This means you've been able to conquer all of the above tips we've mentioned (and more) to produce that rare image that requires no post-processing.

At a minimum, you'll want to look closely at your images back in your studio. Editing is the last factor you can control in your work. Take the time to look at the images. Contrast, saturation, and exposure need to be perfectly balanced. If they are not, that's where post-processing edits come in. Lightroom is an ideal program for edits and enhancements and is popular with pros and amateurs alike. (Presets for Lightroom can also help you achieve the effects you want and save you a lot of post-processing time.)

Hopefully, these six tips will improve your nature photography, taking it to the next level. They might take some practice. Eventually, you'll find that they become second nature to your work style out in the field when shooting nature photography.

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