How a ‘training area’ will improve you as a nature photographer

In this article I will explain you how a small forest near my home was critical for developing my skills as a photographer and how it can help you.

Understand the effect of different light during the day is critical for good pictures

For every photographer, especially beginning photographers, it is important to have a place near your home where you can always go to take pictures. Those ‘training areas’ are the key to improve your skills as a photographer. Way to often I hear people saying ‘I wish I could go to such a beautiful place’ or ‘I love nature photography but I don’t like the nature here’. This mindset is limiting those photographers in making good pictures and especially in improving their skills.

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  Bird photography in your garden by Nikolaas Aelbrecht

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  sunrays entering the forest

For me as a nature photographer I go very often to a small forest at a few kilometers from my home (in Belgium). This isn’t a place with a great biodiversity neither with breathtaking landscapes but it is just easy to go to. The first two years when I had a camera I went to this forest so much that people thought I was crazy, often without taking any good pictures. But yet this formed the basis of all the pictures I ever took. Learning about nature and about different ways to photograph nature is so important to get good pictures.

Roe Deer in a meadow, knowing the beautiful places and acting fast made it possible to get this picture

From training area to the perfect travel pictures

I never followed any course for photography neither am I constantly searching the web for that ultimate photography tip but I go out and try. Learning by courses or online information can of course help but you should try everything you learn in theory a 100 times in the field before getting good results. If you keep a mindset like ‘I don’t like nature near my home’ you will fail on many opportunities when travelling because you didn’t practice your techniques enough. Knowing the maximum ISO-value that results in good pictures or understanding how photographing an animal while standing or laying down will result in different pictures are only some examples of what you learn while practicing a lot.

After training a lot all this knowledge becomes like an instinct. You don’t have to think about it anymore when you take pictures. This will save you valuable time and you will make less mistakes resulting in much better pictures when you are at your dream destination or eye-in-eye with your favorit animal.

Why some of my 'training pictures' are amongst my best pictures

If you understand nature a bit you can find its beauty everywhere. That is why I strongly believe that you can also take wonderful pictures nearby your home. In my portfolio there are many pictures from my training area. The reason why is not because it has an exceptional beauty but because I understand nature here better than anywhere else in the world. This knowledge is critical for making good pictures, especially for wildlife. Knowing when which animal is likely to be at a certain place makes it possible to see them more often and to get closer. This results in better pictures. In my training area the main animal I photograph are roe deer. After years of trying I understand better how I can get close, where and when I can find them.

Predicting the behaviour of this Roe Deer made it possible to wait there and take a closer picture

Getting started

Now you understand the importance of a training area near to your home I will try to get you started.

1. Find your training area

Obviously the first step is to find your training area. Go to some of the most ‘natural’ place near to your home where you think you can go to at least once a week. Then choose the one which you find the most interesting.

2. Find beautiful spots and search for animals

Exploring the area will get you to its most beautiful places. If you are interested in wildlife photography, you should search for tracks and animals. After a while you will learn where which animals are the most common and at what time of the day they are active.

3. Photograph under different circumstances and with different techniques

Now you can experiment with different techniques. You can photograph at different times of the day, in different weather, … You can learn some techniques online or in a course/workshop and put it into practice or just be creative and try no one will judge you there on your failed attempts.

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