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Photographing Nature
Welcome to the Photographing Nature section of my blog, where I share inspiration, techniques, and tips to help you connect with nature through your lens. Whether you’re wandering through a forest, sitting by a quiet lake, or observing wildlife in motion, nature photography offers endless opportunities to explore beauty, light, and life in its rawest form.
Whether you're just starting with a smartphone or shooting with professional gear, you'll find ideas designed to improve your photography.
This is a 'must-do activity' this weekend. Spread the word, go to the local park, out into the country woods;go and catch falling leaves.
Please go and try it, take yourself, with family if you have one, and just play the game - it is surely one of the most mentally restorative things you can do. Especially if you pause and admire the leaf you catch.
You're even allowed to smile, laugh, yell, squeal or whatever - this is complete release.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Fabulous Fun Fungi Foray – Simple Fungi Photography Tips with Your Phone
I hope you don't think I'm overdoing this type of 'tips' but fungi do provide a fabulous and relatively easy source of amazing subjects to photograph - for practise, for art, for identification, and for the awesome beauty of these 'fruiting bodies' linked to the huge underground mycelial webs.
Michael Blyth
2 min read
Friday photo inspiration. Simple Photography Tips: Sharing Inspiration Through Photography and Words inspirational Scottish seascape photo
In terms of Simple Photography Tips there's an interesting exercise you might benefit from; try in your imagination re-positioning the yacht, and seeing how the balance changes and how the significance of the various parts of the image change.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Simple Photography Tips - photography in different weather
1. Fog hides distractions.
Third picture, misty day is like you've slung a big sheet from a couple of helicopters; background gone, eye focuses on the tree.
2. Try black and white
I've turned both images to monochrome, you can see that the colour complicates the image too much.
3. Use roads as leading lines
Oh, and the road running from either sides, makes visual use of the interesting thirds, and takes the eye straight towards the subject.
Michael Blyth
2 min read
Friday photo inspiration. Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words "Sunset Blessings".
We had arrived at Far del Cap Salines moments after the sun had set, thinking we'd missed the show, but then the sky caught fire - it got better than this, but my i-phone died through lack of battery. --aaaghh.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
If Your Photos Feel “Off”, This Is Probably Why - balance in photography - Simple Photography Tips
With the person in the water, the eye lands first on the area of the fishermans huts and the rib, then immediately responds to the contrast of the figure in the water - so it's a bit like a visual see-saw - with image four providing a double see-saw with one fulcrum being, like the other two, the mid-point between the fishing huts and the bather, There is another line sort of running vertically between the woman and the rib.
Michael Blyth
5 min read
Early Autumn. Now is the time for photographing Fungi, (but only if you've got mushroom) on your phone camera – Simple Fungus Photography Tips - video
It's been there sufficient time to have accumulated a deep layer of leaves and decomposing matter, yummy stuff to the mycorrhizal masters of the underworld, and at this time of year they get all excited and put out a flourishing of fruiting bodies, which we see as display of wonderful fungi.
They make the most wonderful subjects for learning nature photography, they don't move, they are wonderfully architectural, and depending on the light, are easy to photograph, even wit
Michael Blyth
3 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words - "Some days it feels like it can't get worse".
I came across this little 'mess on the tarmac' while shooting on Mallorca. It immediately took me to the verse, in the book of Matthew I think, where it says that not even a sparrow falls without being noticed by God.
Michael Blyth
2 min read
Storytelling through pictures – Simple Photography Tips
A friend suggested that I share some of the images, with the thought that you may one day go on a trip that you want to take images of with a view to telling a visual story of the trip - Storytelling through Pictures.
Michael Blyth
8 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words - With age comes a different kind of beauty
The truth of these words struck me as I looked at this oak leaf, gradually trading it's verdant green for rusty gold.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Late summer. The voluptuousness of nature - autumn nature photography
The beauty of late summer is with us, I refuse to call it autumn yet, for my mental health's sake. This year the hedgerows, woods and orchards are dripping with harvest.
Michael Blyth
3 min read
Late summer. Now is the time for photographing butterflies if you've only a phone camera – Simple Photography Tips - video”
This blog is my first attempt at a video where I share a few thoughts on how you can get really stunning butterfly pictures here in the Uk.
Earlier in the year, I spoke of the need for long lens or long and macro.
This was based on the 'flittiness' of these beauties in the height of summer when they have much more energy due to the heat and sun,
As summer comes to the end, there is a late hatch, in this case, of Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words - Maybe allow unexpected pressure to bring beauty
When you've got used to looking, and allowing your eyes to see, you notice things that others would never see.
Walking our dog one morning. After a night of sporadic rain, leaves had fallen, and traffic had passed, leaving a pressure mark, painted with mud. The tyre had left a stone from within it's tread , the shadow of which leaves it's own creativity
Michael Blyth
2 min read
“Waiting with Herons: A Photographer’s Opportunity to Slowing Down – Simple Photography Tips”
The geese had already left, there were a few mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) still snoozing, a handful of teal (Anas crecca) feeding, and a solitary grey heron (Ardea cinerea) slowly wading through the middle of the pond.
I had one of my Nikon Camera's, fitted in case you're interested with a 70-200mm f2.8 and 1.7 teleconverter.
If you have one of the latest iphones or similar, you could still make a good effort, as you will understand in a bit.
Michael Blyth
6 min read
Six months anniversary of simple photography tips
Today marks six months of my Simple Photography Tips - twice a week, with the "motto ut aspias, done videas" - that you may look until...
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words - semper in faecibus
Anyway, this stripey monster with the goggly eyes was heading over this rather substantial piece of cow-dung (FYI it was a Dexter), and I couldn't resist getting my knees dirty to share a portrait with you.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
seascape photography tips: How to use your i-phone to create emotive seascape photographs
Yes, sometimes my mantra of 'look until you see' is necessarily tempered by the desirability of not missing the moment - and experience with reading the signs helps. Grab the moment, and re-shoot if it gets better.
So two things I want to chat about, the first is the one addressed already, the need for character to produce emotive coastal images. The other is what lens to use with your iphone, other phone camera, or camera.
Michael Blyth
3 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words - swans landing together
Doing things together isn’t only about striving forward; it’s also about arriving, resting, and being present with one another. Just as these swans settle gracefully onto the water, we too find strength and comfort in shared moments of calm. Whether it’s winding down after a busy day, walking in nature, or simply sitting quietly with someone we care about, togetherness softens the landing.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
Using a teleconverter on your camera – with Simple Photography Tips on Wildlife bird photography
We are all very aware of the environmental nego's around replacing our old toys, for a new one's, whether it's a car, boat, or latest phone. In my case it was the temptation of a new lens. Did I need to? Not really.
I did think it would be worth spending a little bit of time, for your sake as well as mine, seeing if there was much of an improvement to be made, without the material waste.
Michael Blyth
5 min read
Simple Photography Tips - Finding Inspiration Through Photography and Words
Whether you're a fellow photographer, a creative soul, or just someone who enjoys a quiet moment of inspiration, I hope these 'images with words' bring you something valuable.
Michael Blyth
1 min read
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