Digital Photography at National Parks

National parks are one of the most popular destinations for digital photographers at any level of expertise. Not only are there stunning scenery and natural features, national parks also allows you to view wildlife in their natural habitat. This opens up a wide variety of digital photography opportunities.

by Rajendra Varma

The landscapes and animals at America's national parks provides a multitude of digital photography subjects simply because national parks in fact were set up to preserve the beauty of these areas in their original state. Therefore, national parks are as close to nature as most of us will get to. The following techniques will help you produce stunning digital photographs of America's natural wonders at these national parks.

National Parks Digital Photography

There are many national parks across America, each with its own distinctive beauty and uniqueness that were deemed worthy of preservation. For digital photographers, this opens up a variety of options. The many national parks offer stunning views of mountains, canyons, geysers, glaciers, valleys, lakes and vistas. They also contain within hundreds of different types of wildlife in the natural setting, giving you the opportunity to get up close with some of these animals.

Planning for Digital Photography

Planning ahead can be very helpful when you are going to shoot digital photography at national parks. Go through park websites and user comments about the parks you are interested in for information on good shooting locations and ideas for your digital photos. You can also search for photos of the parks on digital photo sharing websites like Flickr to get ideas for your own digital photography. Park visitor centers will also often have information on unique shooting locations. Most importantly, however, walk around on your own when you get to a shooting location to find the best angles and lighting conditions to create stunning, unique digital photographs.

Best Time for Digital Photography

The best time to shoot scenery is right after sunrise and just before sunset when the lighting is best. Animals will also be most active during these times, allowing for amazing wildlife photographs. Therefore, plan to be at your shooting location while its still dark before the sun rises or to stay there after the sun sets.

Lighting Conditions

Lighting is the key to high-quality digital photography. It is important to always think about how the lighting will affect your photography, and for outdoor photography, lighting could not be more important. Think creatively about how you can use the lighting conditions to properly reflect the sense of the place, and then plan to shoot when lighting is optimal. Cloudy days are perfect for photography in forests or of waterfalls, while sunny days are optimal for sweeping landscapes.

Composing Photographs at National Parks

Composing your pictures properly can mean the difference between a good digital photograph and an average one. Try to fill the frame with your subject and bakcground or foreground elements. Simplify the composition to focus attention on the subject by eliminating any element that does not add constructively to the digital photograph. Think about the shot and how you compose the digital photograph before shooting.

Also try to shoot unique shots of well-known features like the Grand Canyon or the geysers at Yellowstone. Try to give your digital photographs you personal touch by exploring different angles and digital camera settings.

Stitch Photos

A panorama is a series of photos 'stitched' together digitally to form one wide digital photograph. A lot of medium-range and higher-end digital cameras nowadays offer in-camera stitching feature for shooting panoramic shots of vistas and mountain ranges.

Always experiment with different angles and shooting techniques when taking digital photographs at national parks. It will help you grow as a photographer in addition to producing unique digital photographs of America's natural treasures.