A Photo Opp

Friday, June 15^th is Nature Photography Day--what a great opportunity to connect with nature and photograph something you may see everyday, only at sunset or maybe only once in a lifetime.

The Seventh Annual Nature Photography Day was designated by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) to promote the enjoyment of nature photography, and to explain how images have been used to advance the cause of conservation and protect plants, wildlife and landscapes locally and worldwide.

This is a great reminder to not only stop and smell the roses, but also to take a picture of them too–see the beauty in nature through the lens. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to celebrate this day, just grab your camera or your camera-phone and take an extra look around you to see what nature has to share.

Whether you decide to celebrate in your own backyard or venture off to a hiking trail, you’ll get a fresh reminder that nature surrounds us and there is always something new to see. It’s also a great time to look at something you see everyday in a new way. One of the important things I learned when I took photography classes was to always point the camera in many directions. Look up. Look down. Look all around.

Just last week I looked at a sunset every night to see how each paints the sky at different times of the sunset. Weather.com is a great resource for sunrise and sunset schedules.

Photo by Melody Morrow

Need inspiration? Check out sites such as Life in Colors and art from National Geographic. They chose to highlight nature by sorting it into different colors and creating a slideshow of each–absolutely inspiring!

Nature Photography Day could also provide great motivation for a Pinterest pinboard.

Let us know how you observed the day by commenting on my article or sending us your photo on Eco18’s Facebook.