When you are outdoors, you may see a lot of potential beauty in your surroundings. However, not all “natural” elements are as pretty as they could be. Even if you are in Scotland. Harsh sunlight is the biggest drain on a photograph. Therefore, you need to consider playing around in the shadows more than the full sun areas. You may also want to discover how to set up the perfect photo opportunity, without waiting for it to happen naturally.

Bring Your Own Props

Let’s say you want to photograph someone on the Loch Ness Lake. Maybe you want to have a chair sitting on the beach silhouetted by the setting sun. Not all elements will be set up the way you want them when you arrive on the scene of a potentially great picture. You may also consider having a subject, sitting in the direct sun, but where the sun is blocked by them. Sunlight through hair, bright light behind a sitting dog, or even the lone chair with light streaming through; will all be spectacular and “natural”.

Test Your White Balances

Most cameras today have a variety of white balance settings. White balance can make things appear warmer. Daylight settings are ideal for bright days, but if you do not have it, cloudy or shade presets may work as well.  If your photo looks too blue, you can change it to make it warmer. If you want to bring out the blue, you can choose a cooler white balance. Our recommendation is to just play with it. Just because you are taking a picture, does not mean you cannot play with the colors of the subject area.

Consider Shutter Speeds

At times in nature, blurring something that moves may make the photograph have more of an impact. It will give a sense of movement. If you have a shutter speed of 1/4th of a second, you can blur the motion of a waterfall without making it look bad. A slower moving body of water may need a slower one-second shutter speed to get the same effect. Your goal should be to make it look natural, as though the person viewing it can hear or see the motion in first-person. If you have a partner, you may choose to further increase the movement by adding something, such as a leaf, to the shot to further enhance the movement. Simply have them drop a leaf in and when you see it coming into view, click.