Nature Photography Tips

Here are 5 photo tips to inspire you to explore the hidden gems of Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, a beautiful preserved open space right in the heart of Princeton. 

Mountain Lakes features various ecosystems, including woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. There’s so much to see on the easy-to-hike trails and these photo tips will help you notice more while you relax and enjoy a beautiful day in nature. Be sure to enter our Perspectives on Preservation Photo Contest by Sunday, September 8, 2024.

1. Get Closer: When you think you’re close enough, get closer. When you notice a beautiful bloom or an interesting branch, don’t be afraid to fill the photo frame with it. Take multiple photos from different distances and see what you like best. Look for the little things and photograph what catches your eye. Peep the bumble bee resting on a daisy.   

2. Golden Hour: The sky is colorful and filled with warm light just before or after the sun rises and sets. It casts a glow on everything, and that’s a perfect time to take photos at the lake, where the clouds will be reflected on the water. You’d be surprised how different the same scene can look just because of the time of the day.  

3. Change Your Focus: Use focus to call attention to the foreground. Portrait mode on a smartphone or shallow depth of field on a SLR camera will allow you to focus on the subject and blur the background selectively. To do this on a phone, open portrait mode and tap the subject with your finger. On a camera, use a lower f-stop like f/4. 

4. Look for Backlighting: When you’re facing the sun and the subject of your photo is lit from behind, it separates the subject from the background and can even highlight the texture. These grass seed heads in the meadow are visible thanks to the sun highlighting their fuzzy texture.

Photo credit: Jessica Atkins

5. Look for Color: Nature has a beautiful color palette ~ ideal for photos. When walking the trails, look for the bright exclamation point of wildflowers. Mountain Lakes has a wide variety of flowers that are ever-changing throughout the seasons.

Now, it’s time to get snapping! Submit your best photo to our annual Photo Contest by Sunday, September 8, 2024. See contest details HERE.