Nature Photographer Magazine

Nature Photographer is a “how–to” magazine,
published in print form three times a year covering all four seasons—Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The Spring issue is published each March, the Summer each July and the Fall/Winter a larger combo issue each November. The magazine is intended for nature photographers and nature enthusiasts who range from beginners to professionals. We will help you channel your intense interest in nature photography into more successful trips into the natural world, whether they be for the day, weekend, holidays or vacations. This is the magazine for those of you interested in photographing the wilderness—in far-off destinations, in local parks or in your own backyard.


Nature photography is all about getting out there and being a part of our natural world. When in nature working on our photography, it is helpful to entirely immerse ourselves in what we are doing. To do that, we need to practice the techniques needed to consistently produce quality images and research the locations that will appeal to each of us the most. We at Nature Photographer hope to help you along that route with both the print magazine and this web site. We strive to showcase the Earth in the most beautiful light and to encourage everyone to be kind to the Earth and all life, including themselves. Our journeys will include:

    * How to photograph—from close-ups to wildlife to grand landscapes and seascapes.
    * How to use specialized equipment.
    * Detailed natural history information.
    * Field techniques.
    * New product information and equipment reviews.


If you are having problems finding us at your favorite bookstore, try a subscription for future issues (Go to Subscriptions) or go to the back issues order to order the current issue and any other past issues (Go to Back Issues)

Join our editors and other field contributors in our printed magazine and on our web site by becoming a Field Contributor to Nature Photographer magazine. See who is included at Field Contributors Listing . Check our Subscriptions Page for this and other exciting new types of subscriptions that are now available.

Please Note:
Magazine subscriptions sold through web sites other than this web site (www.naturephotographermag.com) are not authorized by Nature Photographer. Please subscribe through our website to guarantee fulfillment of your subsctiption. This site is the only authorized web site for the sale of subscriptions.
Information regarding Friends of Nature Photographer: In December 2008 two unsolicited gifts spurred us to create Friends of Nature Photographer with 75% of each donation being used to provide additional magazines to bookstores and the remaining 25% of each gift being sent to organizations that plant trees around the world. You may send your gift to Nature Photographer, PO Box 220, Lubec, ME 04652. Contributions are not tax deductible. If you choose to send a donation, your support will be greatly appreciated by us, by all new readers, and by Mother Earth.

Finding The Best Wedding Photographer

Your  wedding will be something out of your fondest dreams if you plan it correctly.  This will be a day that you will want to remember for the rest of your life.  One way to be sure that you can remember this day forever is to hire a good wedding photographer.  Your wedding photographer should be able to capture this special day on film.  Here are some tips on how to get the best photographer for your wedding:

1.  Get references.  It is very important that your photographer be established in the business and have good references.  You will want to make sure that he or she has photographed weddings before and knows how to take proper photos otherwise you might as well just get someone to take snaps.  The best way to find out about a photographer is through references.  You want to make sure the photographer shows up on time and knows what to do.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity so you want to be certain to hire a professional.

2.  Discuss outdoor options.  Make sure that your wedding photographer knows that you want some outdoor photos and is fully equipped for outdoor shooting.  Most professional photographers are well versed with indoor and outdoor lighting, but discuss this with them just to be sure.

3.  Look for venues that offer natural beauty.  Your photographer will make the most of natural beauty in the environment if you help him or her out by choosing a venue where there are lovely backdrops.  Look for venues that offer splendid backdrops for your special day.

4.  Get a photographer who will direct the wedding.  You and the groom will be overwhelmed on your wedding day.  A good photographer will be assertive enough to make sure that they get all of the right photos for you to remember everything that happened.  Look for a photographer who not only knows how to take good pictures, but also knows how to direct the scene to get the best and most memorable pictures.  You do not want to miss out on a photo opportunity because of a timid photographer.

5.  Have two photographers.  If you know a photography art student, you can offer them a chance to shoot your wedding along with the professional in black and white.  While a traditional wedding photographer will get everything picture perfect for the wedding album, and in colour, an art photographer may shoot some black and white photos that are candid and tell a story.  It is good to have both a professional photographer and an art photographer to tell the story of your wedding that you will cherish for years to come.

Digital Photography Tips That Work Fast and Easily

So you want some digital photography tips that work quick and are easy? Well, photography is not that hard to start getting good at. It's like playing an instrument. Anybody can get to a decent level but those that are very dedicated and with some talent are the ones that become great. I will try to show you how to become great.

The key for a beginner to start taking better shots is actually divided into two different keys...

1. Ultimate Control Over Your Camera and Equipment

2. Compositional Expertise

Experts have these two down pat and you as a beginner must try to develop these as best as you can. When expert photographers take photos they spend very little time composing a shot. Instead, they focus their attentions more on the message, the style, and what they want the photo to do to the viewer. That's art!

Until you get to that level, master these two aspects of photography.

Technical Expertise.
This may be the easiest part to photography. It's kind of like math. You must understand what exposures to use, what aperture, shutter speed, etc for proper exposure and such. If you don't know what those terms mean then you need to learn!

Basically, shutter speed is the device in the camera that controls the amount of time light that is let in. Aperture controls how much light is let in. So, when you take a photo the camera lets light in a certain amount of time from a certain size of an opening.

Compositional Techniques:
There are lots of compositional techniques, and honestly, a lot of these tips conflict with one another. The key is to use the compositional tip that works with the situation your in. For a sample, I'll give you three powerful and easy to implement techniques:

1. Isolate. Beginners make the mistake of trying to photography everything in a single shot. Don't. Take a simple picture with a definite subject that anybody will understand as the main object of interest. If a viewer has to ask what to look at, you have a cluttered shot.

2. Avoid the Middle. People that take photos for "memories" take shots dead center. You want photos that look nice and thus, are going to want to use the rule of thirds. Simply stated, it says to avoid the middle. Place the subject to the left or the right, top or bottom.

3. Use Lines. Many different tips come into this category of tips. Use lines to lead to the subject of interest. This can add more impact to the subject. For example, have lines on a road lead to a car far head. Also, you can use lines to set the mood. Vertical lines make shots look fast paced whereas horizontal lines make relaxing shots like the beach.

This was just a brief touch to the tips and techniques out there for taking awesome shots. The ultimate tip towards success, however, is one you are going to hate hearing: practice! Overstated but true.