If you are a photographer, you are learning it or it is just your hobby, then you may want to know about different types of photography. Outdoor Photography is one of them.
You may know clicking photos in photo studio or in wedding function. But there are many types of photography.
In this post, we will learn deeply about clicking photos outside from studio or indoor.
We will get to know about required equipment, techniques, example poses and many more things related to outdoor photography.
You can learn other type of photography as well on our blog column. But here let’s focus only on outdoor photography and its elements.
Table of Contents
What is Outdoor Photography?
Let’s get to the point and before I give you full explanation on this topic, let take a brief look.
Clicking photos outside from your photo studio or your house, whether you are a photographer or you do its just for your hobby.
It may be clicking photos in grassland, park, on mountains, near river, bus stop, street. Taking photos on or related to these places is called outdoor photography.
You can simply assume that what you can feel about indoor and outdoor. Indoor means inside and outdoor means outside. So it is very simple to know difference in both of them.
It is very different from Indoor photography. It has different techniques for clicking photos. It used different camera lenses and lighting. It uses different lighting method from indoor, and lighting is natural and best part here.
In this post, you will get know why lighting is an important part in this photography.
Outdoor Photography With DSLR Camera
Today is the era of DSLR cameras where everyone wants to be a photographer and wants to take photos with DSLR. And while you are taking landscape outdoor pics, then you will definitely want to use DSLR camera.
Here are some suggested camera settings for landscape photos.
- Shoot photos in RAW format if possible
- Active D-Lighting mode should be turned off
- Do manual focus
- Set aperture f/8 to f/16
- High ISO noise reduction should be turned off
- Don’t use auto ISO
Above camera settings will make your photo shoot more awesome.
Are you still using non DSLR camera or you are planning to purchase a new DSLR camera, then here is a list of best cameras for landscape outdoor photography.
- Nikon D850
- Canon EOS 5DS R
- Pentax K-1 Mark II
- Sony A7R IV
- Canon EOS R5
- Panasonic S1R
- Nikon Z7 / Z7 II
Outdoor Photography Lighting Techniques
Lighting play an important role in every type of photography, whether it is indoor or outdoor. We must have to set lighting before clicking a photo.
Sun is the biggest and natural source here. If you want to become professional landscape photographer, then you will have to learn sunlight lighting skills.
Below are some points related to lighting techniques.
Right Angle to the Sun
In outdoor photography, sunlight plays very important role. With wrong sunlight, you will make your photo shoot unusable. When taking pic in sunlight, make sure sun is not behind the subject.
If it is behind the subject, the sunlight will do reaction from opposite side and it will make your photo darken. It will be very dark.
Using Flash Brackets
When using flash in outside landscape photography, don’t forget to use flash brackets. This equipment is very useful because it will keep flash at proper distance and angle.
It will remove red eye possibility that is very common in outdoor photography.
Below are some important equipment that are very useful in outdoor photography lighting.
- Flash diffuser
- Reflector
- Flashgun
- Zoom lens
Outdoor Portrait Photography
Portrait photography in outdoor is always amazing because portrait photography needs light and in outdoor, light is everywhere. Even you don’t need flash in portrait photography in mostly cases because you will find sunlight around you. In some cases when weather is cloudy, then you may be required flash.
If you are an expert in using sunlight for photos, then you can be professional photographer. You should have experience in direction of sunlight and so that you can move photo subject according to sunlight direction.
But in cases in which flash and other lighting equipment are required, you can see “Outdoor Photography Lighting Techniques” (Tips listed above).
Best time for clicking portrait pictures is sunrise and sunset time. In sunrise and sunset, shade of sunlight is golden and it give your photos an amazing charming look.
Other times except sunrise and sunset, you can use reflector tool to control day light. Reflectors are lightweight and very affordable and you can take it to anywhere and make your portrait photography amazing.
Outdoor Photography Poses
At last after you got all details about clicking landscape outdoor photos, you would want to see some poses, especially portrait poses. I have some examples for you. Try these styles while taking pics outside and have fun.
