Photo Challenge - Week 1: Simple Subjects | Outdoor Photography Guide

Welcome to the first week of the latest Outdoor Photography Guide Photo Challenge! Over the course of the next eight weeks, David Johnston, contributor at Outdoor Photography Guide, will guide you through eight photo assignments aimed at increasing your creativity. This week’s assignment is “Simple Subjects”. If you haven’t officially signed up to receive each week’s assignment via email, be sure to sign up here.

Week 1: Simple Subjects

When you think about outdoor photography, an image shot with a wide angle lens that includes a large foreground element might come to mind. It’s important not to forget that telephoto lenses can also be a strong lens to create compelling outdoor photos of nature. Using a telephoto lens to seclude subjects either by placing them against negative spaces, solid colors, or even using a wide aperture can make simple subjects in a scene stand out and give a location context. This technique has quickly become one of my favorites in outdoor photography because it allows me to connect with a place more than a grand landscape would.

Don’t forget to share your photos of this week’s assignment in the Outdoor Photography Guide Photo Challenge Facebook group! This is also a great place to connect with fellow photographers and share tips during the challenge.