Take better outdoor photographs for storytelling and ancestry research.
For over 25 years, I have used the camera to capture the lives of my family and friends. The camera has been an essential tool in my professional career in public relations and advertising. I first started with a film camera and spent hundreds of excellent/fun hours developing and printing my prints in a dark room. Since the late 90s, I have used the digital camera extensively to aid my genealogical research.
Using light to your advantage is what separates good photos from great ones. The best times to take pictures are usually early morning and early evening; the worst is generally midday when light is most harsh.
Outdoor Photographs for Ancestry Research
Table of Contents
- Outdoor Photographs of Buildings
- Outdoor Photographs of A Walk in the City
- Outdoor Photographs of Landscape
- Outdoor Photographs in Wet-weather
- Telling A Story with Tour Camera
- Outdoor Photographs of Animals
- Outdoor Photographs of Nature
- Additional Resources to Expand Your Knowledge
The following are a few tips to get you started with outdoor photographs:
Let your camera be your guide
Many digital cameras have technology that allows you to create pictures that look more like what you see with your own eyes. It balances brightness, preserves contrasts, and ensures details aren’t lost.
A digital camera’s white balance can help make photos look more realistic no matter what type of light you’re in. Sun, shadow, dawn, dusk—Digital cameras with this breakthrough technology will automatically find the right setting for each shot.
Nature up close
Perfect for shooting flowers, butterflies, and other aspects of the great outdoors, close-up photography reveals details the naked eye can’t see. Close-ups isolate the subject from surrounding clutter. Learn more about Close-up photography.
Digital cameras with a macro shooting mode are great for taking close-up images when the focal point is tight on the subject’s center. The camera automatically adjusts the aperture and shutter speed so that the subject will be sharper and more precise. This takes the background and foreground out of focus so that you can capture a single flower, leaf, or ladybug with crystal clarity.
Distant views
Once you’ve mastered close-up shots of the natural world, broaden your horizons with wide-format pictures. Many cameras include an automatic landscape shooting mode so you can capture scenes with deep perspective and keep the foreground and background in focus.
Mountain ranges, desert plateaus, and the ocean at sunset also provide unique opportunities for memorable panoramic images. To make your photos unique, be sure to position a person, animal, or unusual landscape feature in the foreground of your photo.
In-camera panorama preview lets you see an outline from your first shot on the LCD so you can precisely line up the second shot. In-camera stitching combines up to five photos that can be reviewed on the LCD to see the whole panoramic picture. The pictures are easily stitched together to create a final, seamless panorama photo when downloaded to your PC.
Going abstract
Abstract photography is about capturing color, shape, and pattern to create an intense visual experience for the viewer. Begin with subjects that lend themselves to abstraction: leaves and water reflections, for example. Seek out interesting patterns and textures in tree branches and leaves. Objects you’ve never considered photographing will suddenly seem like prime subjects.
You can always use image-editing software to create unique effects in your photograph.
Art show
There are so many creative ways to use your outdoor photos. Frame two or three images together as a series. Or save your favorites in a photo journal. Not only is a journal a great way to collect your best shots, but you can use it for practical purposes too, like recording plantings, so you don’t forget what will bloom where.
Outdoor Photographs of Buildings
I want to share a few lessons I have learned when photographing buildings.
Choose your angle and avoid distractions
Choose your angle carefully to minimize the clutter of telephone poles and street signs. Try photographing from several angles. Watch out for cars and trucks that might pass between you and the building you are trying to photograph.
Include an interesting object in the foreground
Include an object in the foreground to add depth to your picture, such as a branch, a boulder, a fence.
Take pictures of the building’s architectural details
Consider taking photographs of unique architectural details that help tell the story of the building and its craftsmen: windows, eves, staircases, awnings, or masonry work.
Include people when appropriate
Consider adding a person in the photo to add the scale of size. Add people who live in the home, especially if they are family.
Use lines to lead the eye
Lines, such as a road, a river, or a fence, direct attention into your picture. Select a spot or an angle where significant lines in the scene lead your eye toward the main center of interest.
Wait for the right light. Photographing a building when the sun is shining directly on it will ensure the sharpest picture and precise detail. The best light is in the early morning, shortly after sunrise or late afternoon when the sun is low.
Consider the direction the building is facing
You will need to shoot some buildings in the morning, while buildings on the other side of the street may be best shot in the afternoon. North and south-facing buildings may be even trickier; depending on how they face, some buildings seem to be perpetually in shadow.
Take pictures even in bad weather
Don’t let rainy days discourage you from taking pictures. Polished by the rain, colors seem to glow. Try to include a spot of color to brighten your picture on overcast days.
Turn off your flash. For more effective lighting—when you’re outside in dim light and your subject isn’t within more than 10 feet away—turn off your flash and capture the scene in the existing light. Hold your camera extra steady or use a tripod.
Remember the green grass and blue sky
Try to get some green grass and blue sky into the picture.
Choose your angle to avoid distractions. Choose your angle carefully to minimize the clutter of telephone poles and street signs. Try photographing from several angles. Watch out for cars and trucks that might pass between you and the building you are trying to photograph.
Winter, spring, summer, fall
Consider questions such as the following: How important is it to capture the entire building without the blockage of plants? Some buildings are best viewed and photographed in the winter when leaves are off the trees and the building is more visible.
Take your time to frame the photograph
Take your time to frame the photograph, so there is balance and includes the desired detail.
Outdoor Photographs of A Walk in the City
I would like to share a few of the lessons I have learned when photographing a walk/stroll in the city.
Collect brochures and flyers from the city
Gather brochures and flyers about the city in which you walk. They will help you tell the story later on. Many cities have walking tour brochures, which may be an excellent start to photographing the city.
Photograph points of interest to you
Don’t be afraid to take photos of the elements of the city that are of interest to you. If the city reflects the time, your family lived there, walk the streets and imagine what they would have seen. Take photos of streets, homes, signs, persons in period dress, allies, and stairs. See the city from all angles.
Include a picture of a street sign and house number
When shooting in a city, try to include in a picture a street sign whenever possible. If you like a building or house, photograph a street sign and a house number separately.
Include pictures of city names
Take pictures of signs with city names when arriving at a railroad station or crossing city limits by car.
Outdoor Photographs of Landscape
For over 40 years, I have used the camera to capture the lives of my family and friends. The camera has been an essential tool in my professional career in public relations and advertising. I first started with a film camera and spent hundreds of excellent/fun hours developing and printing my prints in a dark room. Since the late 90′s, I have used the digital camera extensively to aid in my genealogical research.
I want to share a few lessons I have learned when photographing a landscape.
Include a strong point of interest
Your eye needs a place/something of interest to rest in the picture. For example, a clump of colorful flowers, a cloud in the sky, a mountain, a tree, or a boat.
Include an interesting object in the foreground
Include an object in the foreground to add depth to your picture, such as a branch, a boulder, a fence.
Place the point of interest off-center
The picture is more interesting if the horizon or your point of interest is not in the center of the picture.
Include people for scale
The cliff may not look all that big—especially in a photo—until you put a person next.
Use lines to lead the eye
Lines, such as a road, a river, or a fence, direct attention into your picture. Select a spot or an angle where significant lines in the scene lead your eye toward the main center of interest.
Wait for the right light
The best light is in the early morning, shortly after sunrise or late afternoon when the sun is low. Noonday sunlight is harsh and less appealing, so take pictures early or late in the day if you have the option.
Take pictures even in bad weather
Don’t let rainy days discourage you from taking pictures. Polished by the rain, colors seem to glow. Try to include a spot of color to brighten your picture on overcast days.
Turn off your flash
For more effective lighting—when you’re outside in dim light, and your subject is within 10 feet away—turn off your flash and capture the scene in the existing light.
Hold your camera extra steady or use a tripod
Avoid distractions. Is there a trash can in the foreground or a telephone wire overhead? Check everything in the viewfinder and reposition yourself to eliminate distractions.
Outdoor Photographs in Wet-weather
Bad weather doesn’t mean bad pictures, and it just changes your options and sets the stage for some unique photographic opportunities. Rain can be a photographer’s friend, intensifying colors and adding drama to any subject. These tips will help you get the most out of wet-weather photo shoots.
Taking the plunge. Before you put on your rain gear and embrace the elements, follow these tips:
- Always keep your camera inside your jacket or sweater to protect it during a downpour.
- For added protection, use a plastic bag to waterproof your camera. Just cut a hole for your lens to poke through.
- Keep a soft, clean cloth handy to wipe water droplets off the lens. Don’t use tissue directly on the lens.
- Consider getting a waterproof case for your camera.
Gray skies, great photos
Overcast skies can be used to your advantage. Color contrasts are muted on a gray day, and colors seem richer—creating the perfect setting for photos of trees and plants. And fog can subdue colors and soften objects in the background, making a lake or your neighborhood park look ethereal and mysterious.
Digital cameras feature unique shooting modes that adjust for lighting (i.e., beach, snow) and situation (i.e., macro for close-ups, portrait). Experiment with the action mode to freeze raindrops hitting a puddle or a car’s speeding tires flinging water. You can also capture wet scenes beautifully with black-and-white photography.
After the storm, storms and heavy rain intensify an image
A perfect time for dramatic landscape pictures is right after a storm: the sun begins to break through, and billowing clouds can be seen in the distance. This combination of bright sun and dark skies creates an extraordinary backdrop: colors seem more profound, and objects glisten under the emerging rays of light.
Try using the landscape shooting mode on your camera to capture it all—it provides excellent range and sharpness.
Capture a rainbow
Rainbows always make stunning subjects. The refraction of light forms them through raindrops, and you’ll usually find these conditions before or after a summer storm. Act fast when you see a rainbow—a storm can recede quickly, and the moisture that creates rainbows can vanish instantly. Rainbow photos are especially striking with other dominant objects in the frame, such as a mountain, body of water, or other natural features.
Portrait in a puddle
And what about the water at your feet? Think of all the exciting reflections you can capture in a puddle: trees, clouds, city lights. Include surroundings in the shot, like the soccer field and bleachers that the puddle reflects. And puddles attract kids like magnets—an excellent opportunity for candid shots and another reason to keep your digital camera handy.
Telling A Story with Tour Camera
I want to share a few lessons I have learned when using the camera to tell a story through photography.
Take a sequence of pictures that conveys the main points of the project—tearing down a wall, digging a hole, shoeing a horse, taking a trip, or walking in the steps of ancestors. Include all the steps. Make a sequence by standing in the same spot and taking pictures from the same vantage point at various project stages. A magazine might want to do a story on your project!
Start with a “before” shot
Take a picture of your starting point before you begin any work. You’ll be amazed how plain the lawn looked before that garden was there.
Include people
Don’t just show the project in its stages; include pictures of people at work. Projects that are accomplished by magic only happen in storybooks.
Show details
Take close-ups of the final product—or along the way of hands putting in a screw, goldfish being released, or a paintbrush putting on the finishing touches.
Shoot at different angles
Vary the level of your viewpoint. Kneel or crouch down, or stand on something sturdy, and see how a different angle can dramatically change the appearance of your subject.
Fill the frame
Fill the frame for a close-up view of small objects or details. Shoot at your camera’s closest focusing distance. Some cameras have a close-up (or “macro”) setting or accept accessory close-up lenses. Check the camera manual. If the subject isn’t big enough, you can crop and enlarge it in the editing software. Shoot at the highest resolution with a digital camera and then crop the picture on the computer.
Outdoor Photographs of Animals
Be Patient Keep picture-taking sessions short and your voice calm. try to tale pictures during natural activities rather than direct your pet during this new activity called picture taking
Use props to focus attention. If your pet isn’t a willing poser, use a flower, a toy, or a small snack to get its attention.
Shoot at eye level
Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging with a pet as with a person. So get down on your pet’s level to create warm and intimate pictures.
Get close
Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance.
Show your pet in action
Animals love to run and play, so take pictures of them on the go to show their joy. Use a high-speed (400 or 800) film to stop the action. Plan the shot for the action to happen in one spot and focus on that spot.
Take lots of pictures
Take lots of pictures to increase your chance of capturing just the right moment. Even the pros take lots of pictures and think nothing of shooting a whole roll just to get that one great shot.
Outdoor Photographs of Nature
The great outdoors offers a lot of irresistible subjects: landscapes, gardens and individual flowers, trees, waterfalls, and animals. The next time you explore Mother Nature, take these helpful tips with you and bring back some amazing pictures
Step into the light
Look for interesting combinations of colors, light, shadows and texture
Prevent Flare-Ups
Sunlight can hit the camera lens and create a flare. use a hat or hand to shade your camera
A New Angle on Life
The best photo is the one you just walked by. Look up, look down and look around you.
Explore your camera modes
Optimize your camera settings and capture objects at great distance and combines perfect texture
Capture the full view
Take dramatic shots of beautiful landscapes. Capture the whole scene, be it a landscape or plunging waterfall
using the panoramic mode.
Location, location, location
Anywhere you can find opportunities for nature photography
Additional Resources to Expand Your Knowledge
Consider expanding your knowledge beyond taking photographs for storytelling and ancestry research.
- Complete Historical and Genealogy Field Trip Research Guide
- Travel Packing List for Ancestry Research Field Trips
- Use Your Camera to Document and Photograph Ancestry Research
- How to Photograph the Cemetery for Ancestry Research
- How to Take Better Photographs for Ancestry Research
- How to Take Better Travel Photographs
- How to Take Better Close-up Photographs
- How to Take Better Outdoor Photographs
- How to Take Better People Photographs
- How to Use Photographs to Trace Ancestors
- How to Google Ancestor Photographs
- Travel Photography Tips
Source: Kodak
