Is it a Nature Photo? (Or is it Aunt Mabel in a flowered hat?) by: David Leeson One of the most difficult things we face at Field and Forest is trying to determine what constitutes a nature photo. Notice, I didn't say the difficulty is determining what makes a good nature photo. That's another issue. We receive some truly wonderful images from photographers almost every day for the Field and Forest Nature Photo Contest. We made a wise decision to seek out respected professionals to judge the contest. It is a daunting task due to the high quality of the work by photographers from around the world. Nonetheless, we have occasionally had to disqualify some images because they were simply not nature photos. What constitutes a nature photo is a matter of subjective qualifications. We could all agree that a sports photo from an NFL game would not be a nature image. That is readily obvious. But, similarly a photo of your child's birthday party is not a nature photo even if you held it in your flower garden (although the ensuing trampled flowers might make an interesting image). Some would say that any photo showing humans or human intervention in nature is an automatic disqualification as a nature photo. We disagree, although, as a general rule this is a true statement. This difficulty is most evident in maintaining the Members Gallery at Field and Forest. Basically, we don't have any firm rules we use to make our decisions. Unfortunately our choices are mostly based on subjective qualifications. And, we had to reluctantly decline some photos last year based upon these "personal" guidelines. Many of these refusals were of photos submitted to the Members Gallery. A few were contest entries. However, these guidelines are not as obtuse as they sound. Though subjective, they are based on some fairly practical principals. You may have noticed that images at Field and Forest are almost devoid of humans, man-made structures and/or domestic animals. As I said, there is no hard rule regarding this. In fact, we have made a few exceptions. The Josh Endean Gallery at Field and Forest has two examples of these exceptions. One photo shows a man silhouetted against a blazing sky standing next to a lake. The other photo is of a vulture sitting on a telephone pole which was apparently shot from the photographer's backyard. We had numerous discussions about these photos trying to determine if they qualified as nature photos and/or if they constituted "departures" from the look and feel of Field and Forest. The decision to accept them in the gallery was based on the fact that they are heavily centered on nature. Specifically, we decided to "ok" the vulture photo because the telephone pole is not readily obvious unless you look at the enlargement of the photo by clicking on the image. Furthermore, in the gallery thumbnail, the hawk is readily recognizable, framed between two dark, brooding trees. As for the man at the lake photo, we decided that the man is not recognizable and is merely an element amidst the beauty of the sunset and lake. Things get more difficult when dealing with other photos submitted to us. For example, the Mike Flood Gallery contains a photo of some tomatoes and another of some watermelons. It could be argued that these do not constitute nature photography. They appear to have been shot in a farmer's market or roadside stand. However, the location of the photo is not important per se. More importantly is the way a photographer uses his camera to emphasize nature while eliminating as much as possible the human element. Mike's photos illustrate this point effectively since his emphasis in the photos is clearly upon the object of nature and the graphic beauty of the harvest. But, if they had revealed any human surroundings, it's likely they would have fallen outside the realm of nature photography. (Note: see our video on this subject by clicking one of the links at the bottom of this article. Or Click Here) We try to be flexible with submissions. We recognize that people can have very different feelings about nature and what constitutes a nature photo. We encourage as much diversity in the site as possible through the diverse talents of the Field and Forest community. We can and do make some exceptions to our personal quidelines because we recognize the inherent subjectivity of the process. But we also realize that any wholesale departure from this selection process would result in a complete loss of the focus of Field and Forest. You can readily find photos of people and pets at other sites. But, at this point, you'll find almost none at Field and Forest. Our Guidelines At a Glance The photo must clearly emphasize nature. This should be self-explanatory. But, for further illustration see the examples below. The easiest, and probably best, way to do this is to avoid any photo situation involving humans and/or human intervention in nature (eg: sculpted bushes etc.) Any person/s showing in a photo must be greatly diminished or subdued. It's possible to shoot a nature photo which includes a human element. But be careful that your photo completely emphasizes nature and not the human aspect. Any signs of human intervention in nature (eg: flower pots, statues, power lines etc) must also be subdued and non-invasive. Again, the easiest way to do this is to avoid these things completely. It is amazing how readily these elements can distract from an intended nature photo. Ask yourself if the beauty of nature is the flower or the pot in which it is planted. No photos showing domestic animals (such as dogs, cats, cows or horses) unless they are a subdued graphic element. We're pretty firm about this. A photo of your dog is not a nature photo. However, if your dog is a subdued element in the photo, then it might still qulaify as a nature photo. It all depends upon your emphasis. The clear intent of the photo must be a celebration of the beauty of nature and/or natural environments. This is highly subjective but it's a good thought to keep with you when shooting photos of nature. Remember your motivation to photograph nature and stick to it. You'll be amazed at what such singular passion for nature's beauty can produce. And if we haven't explained it enough already. Here are some examples to help illustrate these thoughts. All of the photos were made in the same location using a Sony Mavica digital camera. We have included some illustrations of subjective "grey" areas to stimulate thought and debate. Many of the situations were improved with only a very small change of angles. Making a pretty decent nature photo may be easier than you realize. 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Yes. It's a Nature Photo Illustration One Yup... Here's a good at example of using close-up photography to keep your image of nature centered on nature. The emphasis of the photo is entirely upon the beautiful curves and monochromatic greens of the plant. Illustration Two Yup... This is a debatable call. Is it a nature photo? We think so, although it definitely raises some questions. The shadow of the tree against a plain wall shows that the subdued human element (the wall) does not prohibit this from qualifying as a nature photo. Illustration Three Yup... This tree sits squarely in the middle of urban America and yet the use of a telephoto lens isolates the delicate buds on the branches and appropriately obscures the suburban environment. When possible, use the right lens to make the right photo. Illustration Four Yup... Yet another example of using close-up photography to emphaisze the "nature" in a photo. The graphic lines of this houseplant are graceful and delicate. The leaves are clearly emphasized by the "clean," white background. Illustration Five Yup... A photo of a flower garden becomes a celebration of nature by use of a low angle to place emphasis upon a single flower, and decent composition to carefully eliminate the most obvious human elements in the background and sides of the scene.

No. It's not a Nature Photo Illustration One Nope... This is the same ivy, but this time, showing the crystal bowl in the window. The photo now falls into the home and garden category because the emphasis of the photo is dependent upon the man-made scene. Illustration Two Nope... But ... in this photo the same tree and the same shadow are completely overpowered by the building. Is this supposed to be a photo of the building or the tree? There is no clear emphasis in this image. Although, the sky is certainly vibrant. (Yawn) Illustration Three Nope... Yes, it's the same tree in the same location. But in this photo the use of a wide angle lens works against the photo by bringing into focus some glaringly awful details. The Field and Forest motto is: "Life is in the Details." But, there's just a little too much "life" in this photo. Illustration Four Nope... Whoops ... should have thought to raise the mini-blinds before shooting the photo. Now the natural graphics lines of the plant are rudely interrupted by the obnoxious lines of the blinds. It's not a nature photo when it's clearly not natural. Illustration Five Nope... Ho hum. It's just another photo of a flower garden. There's nothing particularly interesting about this photo. It's matter-of-fact, straight forward and ... dull. And check out those buildings in the background. Good for a scrapbook maybe, but, please don't send it to us. Thanks.

Video Links for this Article: Choose one of the links at right to hear more about shooting nature photos in urban areas. We've given you two choices. Choose the MPEG file to view in the Microsoft Media Player or Apple Quicktime. It takes longer to download but the quality is a little better. If you're in a hurry, download the Real Video file. Of course, it requires the Real Player to view it.

Media Player (MPEG) Video Subject: Nature Photos in Urban Environments Length: 1:04 secs Size: 1,408 kb 28.8 download: Approximately 10 minutes

Real Player (RAM) Video Subject: Nature Photos in Urban Environments Length: 1:04 secs Size: 363 kb 28.8 download: Approximately 3 minutes

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