Take great pictures in your park

A picture is truly worth a thousand words. Snapping shots of your park group’s activities can help you attract volunteers, build your social media profile, garner media attention, and make your posters really pop.  

Not a pro photographer? Not to worry! Here are some easy tips to take great pictures with your smartphone. 

Ready, aim, plan

Before you bring out the camera, ask yourself: what story are you trying to tell with your photo? Is it about the natural beauty of your park, the sense of community, or the fun atmosphere at an event?

Thinking about your story will help you come up with a list of images you want to capture. For example, if your goal is to attract new volunteers for your park group, your photos should tell the story of the volunteer experience. Your shot list might include pictures showing current volunteers engaged in hands-on activities in the park, chatting with their neighbours, etc.

While it’s important to stick to your shot list, you’ll also want to leave space for surprises. If your City Councillor shows up, it would be great to grab a snap for the local papers!

Get Permission

Before snapping photos that include people, especially if you plan to share them publicly, it’s important to get consent. A simple verbal ask is often enough: “Hey, is it okay if I take your photo for our park group’s social media?” For children, always ask a parent or guardian first, and avoid taking identifiable photos of kids without their clear permission.

If you’re hosting an event, consider having a sign at the entrance letting people know photos will be taken, and offer a way for folks to opt out (like a sticker or wristband).

People Power

It’s just human nature: we’re naturally drawn towards pictures of people’s faces. Unless your only story goal is to highlight local wildlife, you’ll want to show how your park activities bring people together whenever possible.

Photos where you can clearly see people’s eyes are most likely to attract attention, so seek to use them throughout your promotions (social media posts, posters, etc).

Act Natural

When people aren’t used to having their picture taken, being asked to pose for the camera can make them uncomfortable. Instead of just saying “Smile!”, try giving out unique prompts like “Smile like that dog we saw on the trail!” or “Think about your favourite fellow volunteer!” Unexpected directions can help bring out genuine expressions.

Another great way to help people feel comfortable is to let them see a few shots as you go. If they like what they see, it builds confidence. If not, you can adjust together.

Candid Camera

Posed shots can be a good way to ensure you get everyone in the photo doing exactly what you want, but they also run the risk of looking, well, staged. To really tell the story of your park group or event, you’ll want to add several candid shots to the mix so viewers feel like they’re part of the action.

Aim to take photos of people while they’re focused on something else: like talking to one another, cleaning up the park, whatever!

Get Composed

Beginner photographers commonly place the subject smack in the middle of the photo. While this can be an interesting stylistic choice, we recommend you experiment with using the rule of thirds.

To do so, place your subject (whether it’s a person, a bunch of wildflowers, an animal, whatever) in the right or left third of the frame. Likewise, instead of composing your photo with the land-sky horizon cutting straight through the middle, try giving the sky one-third of the picture.

Shift Perspectives

Remember, your camera is your point of view. If you take a photo while standing normally with the camera near your face, the viewer of the resulting photos will have the same perspective—and it’s one they likely have all the time.

To make things more interesting, try switching up your perspective. Crouch down low, get up on a rock or bench or take a few steps up a hill to get above your subject. These techniques can help create a sense of scale and reveal more of the background of your image.

Make light work for you

The best photos use light strategically to brighten peoples’ faces and highlight their features. Use natural light when you can and always shoot with light behind you, not facing into the light.

Sunshine is a great natural light source, but direct sunlights can also throw harsh light and shadows, particularly in the middle of the afternoon. If it’s a very sunny day, try taking photos in the shade to soften the shadows.

One hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset is known as the “magic hour.” During these times the sun is low in the sky, which produces a beautiful soft light. One thing to keep in mind while shooting during “magic hour” is how fast the light changes. You definitely want to factor in any set-up time to ensure you take advantage of magic hour.

Edit and Adjust

Took some great photos, but maybe the lighting was a little off? Not to worry, you don’t need fancy software to make your photos pop. Free tools like Canva make it easy to crop, brighten, and add text or filters right from your phone or computer. 

After the event, choose a handful of your best shots and spend a few minutes adjusting the lighting, straightening the horizon, or adding your park group’s name and event title. It’s best to keep it simple: your goal is to enhance the photo, not overdo it.