Ever wonder how people get such incredible pictures of wildlife and nature landscapes? Well, they’re typically not getting them using cell phones. Although I have to admit, some phones like Apple iPhone 7 plus and Google Pixel XL do an outstanding job of capturing light. I do recommend the unlocked version of any cell phone as they give you more control over the phones designed intentions. Both phones are similar in price and similar in photograph quality. The cool thing with iPhone is that it has two lenses on the back, one that opens to an aperture of 1. 8 and another that zooms in and opens to an aperture of 2.8. The Google pixel phone has only one lens but features a fixed aperture of 2.0. Both are considered two of the best phones for photography. However, a phone obviously has many more features and uses than a camera. Go check out Krystal Key’s comparison video for a direct comparison of different images. If you’re not familiar with the term, aperture, or understand what these numbers mean, that’s ok. We will jump into it in the following paragraphs as we briefly touch on the basics of photography. We will talk more about fixed and prime lenses as well. Ultimately, I hope to share some tips to help get you taking your best shots while out on the trail.

Cell phones have made an extraordinary advance in technology over the years, especially in their processing power and ability to snap crisp, high-quality images and capture sharp, detailed 4K video clips. However, if I were to head out on a hiking or camping trip to capture landscape photographs or any kind of wildlife that requires a teleport lens I would grab a DSLR (digital single-reflex lens) camera without thinking twice. The only limiting factor might be weight or space and honestly, I would sacrifice another item to make space for a DSLR. Just like cell phones, there are a large variety of DSLR cameras to choose from. Nikon and Canon are a couple of the most common known manufacturers in the photography world. Sony cameras also have competitive products and worth mentioning, especially the mirrorless design. Prices on the many models from any manufacturer vary from a few hundred to several thousand. Canon even has some video models that run $20k+. With so many different models and choices, it can be tough to figure out what to choose. If you want to compete with today’s cell phones, you will need at least 12 megapixels or more. You can find this range easily on DSLRs 5-10 years old. You will definitely need a camera body that allows for interchangeable lenses. Most importantly, you will need to be able to use your camera in a manual mode to understand and master the basic concepts. Without further ado, let’s get into the basics.

Most lower end DSLR cameras are much better quality than point-and-shoot style cameras. However, the options are not much different. In order to understand how photography works and learn how to capture breathtaking images in any setting, you

will have to have a camera that allows you to change the setting from priority modes (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) to manual. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are going to be the main focus here. When using your priority modes, your camera is literally doing most of the work for you without you having to think much. This works great for a lot of situations but over half the time it just doesn’t quite get it right and it many circumstances it has no clue. The concepts themselves are straight forward but being able to master them on the camera will take practice. Shutter speed is basically what the name implies. You are literally controlling how

fast the shutter open and closes. The longer the shutter speed, the more light that is allowed to hit the sensor. This plays a key role in capturing movement. Whether it be to freeze the frame of a hummingbird, capture the flowing water of a waterfall, or capture the stars in the open night sky, shutter speed will mostly be the determining factor. Aperture is a similar concept for allowing light to enter the sensor although, it doesn’t do much by itself for capturing movement. Aperture controls the amount of light that comes through the lens and ultimately controls the depth-of-field or the amount of the image that is in focus. A low aperture (lower f-stop=more open lens), often found on more expensive lenses, is most desirable for the blurry background, or bokeh, often seen where a single item is the subject of focus. On the other hand, a high aperture (more closed lens) is responsible for crystal clear landscapes where everything is in focus. With that being said, you don’t always have to spend a fortune on a good lens with a low aperture. If just starting out with photography, I highly recommend the ‘nifty fifty’, a simple 50mm f/1.8 prime lens . A prime lens means that its focal length is fixed. Unfortunately, it also means that it has no zoom. You can grab one of these lenses easily under $100. The interesting thing about this old lens is that it forces you to use only manual photography. All focus and aperture adjustments are manual. You should always check the compatibility with your model camera before making any purchases. Last but definitely not least, we have ISO (pronounced i-es-o). The concept of ISO can be a bit tricky because it actually isn’t increasing light but increasing the sensor’s sensitivity to the amount of light already present. Yes, your image will appear brighter as you increase the ISO number but you quickly begin introducing unwanted noise in the image. For the best quality, it’s common to leave it at a base line, around 100, and increase gradually depending on the camera model, amount of light present, and other camera settings. ISO plays an important role in capturing images in low light settings.

As you can see in the previous paragraph, different camera settings are crucial to capturing the images you want. Before setting taking off on the trails for a photo hunt, it’s a good idea to have some practice with a purpose in mind. You also might want a cheat sheet with you to assure that you get the appropriate settings right until you have memorized and are able to adjust them quickly on the spot. If you want to shoot wildlife or general nature shots, you are going to want some kind of zoom lens, preferably with a low aperture. One of the most desirable lenses for all around photography is a 70-200mm f/2.8. This lens allows you to shoot at an aperture of 2.8 at all focal lengths. This lens is superb and really hard to beat. You can grab a much cheaper alternative zoom, the 55-200mm f/4-5.6 , but the aperture allows only half the light at 200mm. If you’re shooting in bright sun, it could be difficult to tell the difference between the lenses. In low light, however, the cheap lens simply doesn’t cut it. If landscapes are your thing, the 55-200mm proves to be an excellent piece of glass using the proper settings.

Most landscape photographers desire a wide angle lens to capture more of the view. I typically shoot landscape photography and all the images here are and on the rest of the site are mine. I shoot the majority of landscapes shots I take with a 24mm f/2.8 wide angle, prime lens and I consistently get great images. It is also one of the lightest setups I can carry with me in the woods. Feel free to check out my portfolio (work in progress). I am currently working on setting up custom prints for purchase so if there is something you are interested in, feel free to get in touch. If you are just getting into hiking and/or camping, I have some great tips and advice in a previous blog that can help you gather some essentials to make your trip go smoother, Hiking and Backcountry Camping Essentials. I’ll be putting up another blog this week that will basically pick up at the end of this article and will focus mostly on camera bags, tripods, monopods, straps, filters, etc. and how to integrate all of this into a fairly lightweight hiking/camping trip. By all means, if you like the info I have, my writing style, the images, if you find the links helpful for price comparisons, want to make a purchase, or even want to talk trash about the blog, then do so. Of course, those not talking trash should follow the blog, join the mailing list, or follow me on Instagram where I usually share photography. Until next time, happy photo snapping!