We often dream of photography adventures in far flung places - exotic city-scapes, or the awe-inspiring vistas of our National Parks - but it's worth remembering that you don't need to go far to find beautiful subjects to photograph and that your next great image might be in your local park or even your own backyard. No matter where in the world you are, the flora and fauna that surrounds us, as well as the moon and stars above, provide no shortage of great photography subjects. You may take it for granted because you see it every day, but your local neighborhood is like a goldmine, waiting be discovered with every hour of every day and every season bringing something new. Here are a few of our best tips for photographing your backyard.
Flowers & Leaves
In almost any season, flowers and leaves, with their amazing variety of colors, shapes and textures, provide great subjects for your camera. You can find flowers year round if you look hard enough, but Spring and Summer in our temperate zones offer the greatest variety. There are so many compelling ways to capture a flower's beauty - shoot up close to capture the delicate folds of a rose or use pattern and focus to pick out a single flower from a larger group. Tulips in Spring are a favorite subject and a welcome sign each year that Winter is behind us.
Don't forget about the leaves! Group them together to provide an interesting collage or try backlighting to create a luminous, glowing effect. You can also go abstract and use the veins to create some great geometric patterns. Of course, if you live in the temperate climates that give you a vivid autumn season, nothing is more stunning than watching the leaves turn and the opportunity to capture the reds, oranges and yellows that make the season so spectacular.
Insects
Whether flies or dragonflies, bees or butterflies, insects are endlessly fascinating and completely accessible in a backyard photo shoot.
A macro lens will help, but great shots can be taken with whatever camera you have to hand, including your phone.
The best time to capture insects is when they are feeding on the nectar of flowers - they will be still enough, even if only for a few seconds, for you to capture the moment.
Fruit, berries, and seed pods
Short-lived flowers like dandelion, go to spectacular seed throughout the summer. But once the summer flowers disappear, fruits and berries are nature’s way of providing for birds and animals (as well as photographers!) throughout the cold Winter months. Many berries and seed pods ripen towards the end of autumn, their reds and oranges bringing welcome color to the otherwise drab winter garden. Fall also brings the visual and taste sensations of the pumpkin and winter squashes and don't forget the acorns, pine cones, and nuts which are all fabulous subjects for your photos.
After the Rain or Snow
Snow and rain enhance almost all backyard photo subjects. Take time after both rain and snow to capture trees, branches, flowers and leaves with the ice and raindrops still fresh. If you have a macro lens, be sure to capture water droplets up close. You may be surprised with what you find.
Look up, look down, look close!
There's nothing quite like lying on your back under a group of trees and simply looking up and marveling at these amazing organisms. Trees are the largest living things on earth (the Sherman Tree (Giant Sequoia) is 52,500 cubic feet in volume) and also the oldest (the Bristlecone Pine lives to more than 4,800 years old). It's well worth taking time to capture canopies, branches, bark - every inch of these most amazing and beautiful life forms.
After looking up, make sure you take time to look down at the pebbles, moss, lichens and leaves that provide small but fascinating details. Get on your knees and look closely - you will be surprised at the world that opens up to you! Lichens are particularly fascinating. A symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga, lichen are sensitive to atmospheric pollution including nitrogen and sulfur emissions that lead to acid rain, as well as toxic lead and mercury emissions. This sensitivity makes lichen a valuable biological indicator of air quality and their color and pattern are great for photography, particularly up close.
Of course, clouds, sunsets, sunrises and the moon and the stars are available to us wherever we are and make for spectacular photographs. The moon in particular is a great subject. Whether full and bright, crescent and mysterious, captured in a clear night or with some atmospheric clouds, it is a timeless and satisfying subject.
Structure, Pattern, Black & White Black
We tend to think of color photography when we think of nature, but be sure to embrace the idea of black and white images. Nature provides sculptural shapes and contrasting textures that make great black and white subjects. If you have succulents or cacti in your garden, they are often more interesting in black and white than they are in color. Strong shapes like dead trees, tough bark, snail shells, acorns, and pine cones can be dramatic in black and white. Try strong, directional lighting and a high contrast edit. Be sure to look for abstracts and patterns that may be well served by a black and white.
Birds & Animals
The kinds of animals and birds you’re likely to find in your backyard or local park obviously depend on which part of the world you live in. But regardless of your local species, one of the keys to photographing wildlife is to understand their habits so you know where and when you need to have your gear set up and focus set (e.g. on a bird bath or hole in a tree). When do they rise in the morning? Where do they feed? Are they skittish or can you get fairly close? Armed with this knowledge, find a spot where you won’t be too conspicuous and be prepared to wait as wildlife photography requires a good amount of patience and often a little luck! Your patience will be well rewarded, particularly if you can capture that exciting action moment or get a great eye contact shot that really brings the subject and their environment to life.
We all love the large backyard animals, but don't overlook the humble squirrel, chipmunk or ground hog. They can be just as much fun to photograph as the more notable deer, fox and bear.
You'll likely need a telephoto lens to capture wildlife in detail, but if you don’t possess a telephoto lens, don't despair - you can capture them from afar and show them in their surroundings.
There really are so many wonderful photography opportunities in our backyards - no planes or road trips needed! We hope these ideas and images inspire you to get out in your local area and photograph the beauty you see - we think you'll be surprised at how many wonderful images you can create.