Are you new to nature photography? Feeling a little unsure of how to get started in your quest to make beautiful images? If you want to consistently make good photos, there is a lot to learn. Fortunately, there are a tremendous number of resources out there to help you, but these can also be overwhelming to sort through. Here is an overview of the topics you will need to learn about from a nature perspective, and some guidance on the different resources available.

Let me start with a very basic statement. There is a difference between making a photo and taking a snapshot. Maybe it’s because most of us have had access to a camera for taking family snapshots since we were young, that it can take a while before that realization and transformation occurs (and sometimes it never does!). Making good photos is a “whole brain” experience. A technically perfect (left brain) image can still be unappealing if the artistic part is overlooked. But to achieve your vision (right brain) you need to know how to make the tools work. And it takes time to thoughtfully put all of it together to make the photo. Simply pointing and clicking will rarely get you there.