7 Reasons Why You Need to Get Out Early for Nature Photography

Nature photography is one of my favorite types of photography. There is something about being out alone in nature photographing its beauty that I really enjoy.

Dragonfly in the Morning Dew

Nature photography can include birds, wildlife, wildflowers, landscapes, insects and much more. I find the best time of day to photograph nature is in at sunrise or just after.

This blog tells you 7 reasons getting up early in the morning while its still dark pays off for better nature photographs. If you know of any additional reasons why it’s better to photograph nature in the early morning, submit a comment and let us know.

Birds and Wildlife are more Active

Birds and wildlife are much more active during the early morning hours than later in the day when the sun is higher and the crowds show up.

Insects are less Active

Insects are in a state of torpor in the early morning hours which makes it much easier to do insect macro photography.

Backlit Leaf

Backlit Leaves and Flowers

The low angle of the morning light, provides a good opportunity to photograph backlit subject such as flowers and leaves. A backlit leave can really highlight the details and veins in leaves.

Morning Dew is on your Subjects

Morning dew can often add interest to your plant, flower, and insect subjects. The morning dew burns off quickly once the sun rises.

Mist Rising off the Water

Mist rising off of a lake, river, or pond can add to the mood of your photography. Like the morning dew, mist will burn off quickly after the sun rises.

Trillium Bud

Early morning light won’t blow out the highlights in your Wildflowers

When photographing wildflowers, it’s easy to blow out the whites and lighter colors in the sunlight. I often have to use a diffuser to avoid blowing out the highlights while photographing wildflowers. Early morning light is less likely to blow out the highlights in your photos.

It’s less Crowded

To me, it’s much more enjoyable and peaceful to photograph nature when no one else is around. But in addition, by getting out early, you can avoid joggers, dog walkers and other who may scare off the birds or wildlife you are attempting to photo. Also, you may have less competition to photograph a nature scene.

Written by Martin Belan

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