The secret to good outdoor photographs starts by taking more of them!  Consistently good outdoor photographs are the results of practice, hard work, and a commitment to a goal. Make this years goal be, take more outdoor photographs!

Outdoor photography to most means nature photography. Wildlife, landscapes, etc. But, outdoor photography can be any photograph taken outside or even taken from inside of an outside environment!

Here are five simple tips that will help you improve your outdoor photography. They ONLY work if get out and take more pictures!

1. Keep your horizons level. Outdoor photographs of natural places look horrible with slanted horizons. . .

2. Eliminate distracting elements. Watching the edges of the frame. Don’t let that one blade of grass or stray branch ruin an otherwise great photo. You may have to find a new position, adjust your focal distance, or remove the item from the scene. Be judicious about moving things. I support some modest changes but I won't move a tree . . .

3. Use shadows. Outdoor photographs should have some shadows. Find sidelight to help improve shadows and give depth to your outdoor photographs.

4. Use a human. Put a person in your outdoor photographs to give scale and depth.

5. Combine Elements. Use two or more strong elements to help tell a story.

Bonus tip:  Don’t drink out of aluminum water bottles when it’s 20 below! Just Say’n.

Good Luck out there,

Tony Bynum