Photography Sharing: Common Types of Outdoor Photography

Outdoor photography is one of the most inclusive and diverse branches of photography, encompassing a wide range of categories, from capturing the splendor of nature to capturing the ambiance of everyday life. In short, outdoor photography will open up your creative horizons.

Additionally, outdoor photography is almost always dependent on weather conditions and other variables that you must consider before heading outside.

1.Landscape photography

Outdoor photography, also known as landscape photography, encompasses many different types of photography. Each type presents its own challenges and can take years to master. This article can provide you with tips and techniques for each of these types of landscape photography.

Sunsets and sunrises are beautiful, but knowing how to photograph them makes the experience even more enjoyable. Equip yourself with a solid camera and wide-angle lens, and gain a deep understanding of the best settings to use in different light conditions. The first thing you'll learn about landscape photography is that your scene will constantly change during your shoot. Knowing how to change settings in seconds will save you time and ensure you don't miss a shot.

The scene of landscape photography is constantly changing during the shooting

2.Mountain photography

As more and more people travel and enjoy outdoor hobbies and sports like hiking and skiing, mountain photography has become increasingly popular. Many hikers, driven by the desire to capture their adventures, have become self-taught photographers. There’s no more immediate subject than mountains, as they offer so many beautiful perspectives at every turn.

Because mountainous areas create their own unique and unpredictable weather, consider bringing durable and weatherproof gear for mountain photography. Of course, it's also recommended to pack light. You might be hiking for hours to find a specific viewpoint, so every bit of space in your pack counts.

3.Forest photography

Exploring and creating photographic content in forested areas can be challenging, but can be very rewarding. One challenge you may face is low light levels. Even on a sunny day, the treetops block out much of the light in the forest floor, making handheld photography quite difficult. Therefore, it's highly recommended to use a wide-aperture lens and find ways to take advantage of the varying light conditions in the forest.

Light can change rapidly, so your perspective will also be constantly shifting. With your camera on a tripod, frame yourself or someone else as your subject, and find ways to make your subject stand out, such as highlighting their silhouette in bright light or having them wear brighter colors to make them stand out.

Lighting is a challenge in forest photography

4.Cloudscape photography

You may never have come across a strict cloudscape photographer, but they do exist. For obvious reasons, this area of photography depends on having the right conditions. A tripod and a shutter release cable are essential so you can capture the photo without touching the camera. If you don't have a shutter release cable, set your camera's timer to take the photo after two seconds.

It is recommended to use a polarizing filter to eliminate glare from clouds or the sun, while increasing the contrast of the sky between the clouds. You also need to try different focal lengths and different depths of field. You can try to reduce the aperture to get a greater depth of field.

5.Astrophotography

Astrophotography is a rapidly growing genre of outdoor photography that is challenging for photographers of all levels. It also depends on weather conditions, moon phase, and season. You also need to make sure you have a good understanding of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

While it's easy to focus solely on the sky, astrophotography thrives when you have a compelling foreground. If you can't find a landscape that fits the bill, find a hill and use yourself as a silhouette.

Astrophotography is challenging for photographers of all levels

6.Night photography

As with astrophotography, low light is going to be the biggest challenge with night photography. You'll typically spend most of your time experimenting with apertures, high ISO settings, and longer shutter speeds.

Astrophotography isn't the only type of night photography; you can also shoot landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife, and even macro photography, and the key to most of these is utilizing artificial light sources. Flash can be used in some situations, but generally, you'll need a constant light source like a light wand, panel, or full-fledged lamp.

Another subcategory of night photography is light painting. This is where you use long exposures and artificial light sources (usually in the foreground) to paint the scene. Light painting involves a lot of trial and error, so be patient.

7.Urban/Street Photography

If you rarely get to capture stunning landscapes, urban photography is a good alternative. Big cities tend to have more impressive architecture and larger spaces. Explore your city as much as you can, find perspectives, and then shoot again at night, as you’ll likely see a completely different change of scenery.

How-to tip: Find a crowded area, set up your camera on a tripod, slow your shutter speed down to 1/8 second, and try to capture the movement of the crowd.

City photography is also a good type of landscape photography

8.Wildlife photography

Wildlife photography has exploded in the past few years as telephoto lenses have become increasingly affordable, allowing photographers to capture clearer, more intimate images without having to get up close to their wildlife subjects.

When taking photos of wildlife, make sure to use a fast shutter speed, as wild animals often move quickly. Remember, the longer the focal length, the greater the chance of camera shake, so using a tripod will also help keep the image sharp.

9.Flower photography

Flowers have always been a popular subject for photography, with their rich colors, diverse textures, and, of course, personality. Although flowers are seasonal, they are usually available to most photographers and make excellent subjects.

One way to make photography fun is to start a flower photo collection, essentially doing your best to photograph a new flower variety every time you go out. The possibilities are endless, so you'll never be bored.

Alternatively, feel free to grab a macro lens and get as close as possible to capture insects that inhabit or near your subject.

Flowers are also great subjects for photography

10.Macro photography

Macro photography is all about making a small subject appear larger within your frame. Finding the right lens for macro photography is crucial, and most camera brands offer a variety of options.

When shooting, use manual focus with a focus guide to ensure your subject remains sharp, especially if it's moving. The more you zoom in, the more difficult it will be to use autofocus. You can try using a flash. You'll need to use a narrower aperture to reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor.

Therefore, unless you're shooting in bright light, such as direct sunlight, artificial lighting is essential. Take lots of shots, experimenting with different amounts of light and different apertures.

In short, outdoor photography is a vast topic that encompasses many different types of photography. The possibilities for outdoor photography are endless, as are the different types and styles. Try some of the outdoor photography types and subcategories above to see what interests you.

The beauty of outdoor photography lies in its ability to both practice technique and generate inspiration. By learning the basic camera settings, you'll be able to easily test all of these types of photography. Why not take your camera and go out - the next touching work may be waiting just around the corner.