Intrigued by Nature Journaling? Here’s How to Start
Nature journaling is an enriching hobby that combines the art of observation with the skills of photography and writing. It’s a wonderful way to connect with the natural world, capture its beauty, and document your experiences.
Whether you’re a busy professional looking for a relaxing escape or someone new to nature exploration, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the basics of starting your nature journal with photography and writing.
Why nature journaling?
Before diving into the specifics, it’s worth understanding why nature journaling is a valuable and enjoyable practice.
Nature journaling provides a unique way to engage with the environment around you. It encourages you to observe nature more closely, enhances your understanding of wildlife and plants, and offers a creative outlet for expression. This hobby requires minimal investment and can be easily integrated into even the busiest schedules.
Choosing your nature journaling tools
To get started with nature journaling, you’ll need some basic tools. Here’s a rundown of your options, along with some considerations from my own experience to help you zero in on what starting kit might work the best for you.
Photography gear
I really recommend that anyone interested in nature journaling consider photography.
You have lots of choices when it comes to cameras for nature journaling. Making a choice can feel overwhelming. I’ve listed the options below, along with some factors to consider.
I’ve also provided a list of photography gear that I don’t think is worth the investment, at least at first.
Finding your own personal nature journaling style takes some time. I recommend you start small and cheap and adjust your nature journaling kit to your preferences as you go. Therefore, this post focuses on those items that I’ve found to be most useful for beginners over my two-plus decades of nature journaling.
Phone cameras
Most of us carry our smart phones with us wherever we go, and most smartphones include superb cameras. We know how to work the camera so the learning curve is very low. If you’re just starting out, using your cell phone’s camera to take photos for nature journaling can make a lot of sense.
I’ve found that smart phone cameras work great for nature journaling photography in a few main use cases:
- Stationary subjects within about twice arms’ reach, such as wildflowers, mushrooms, and slow-moving insects
- Distance shots lit with fabulous natural lighting and for which minute detail is not necessary, like individual trees, a wildflower meadow, sunrises at the beach.
- Spontaneous opportunities when you see something fabulous while doing other things and your only other choice is “no shot at all”.
In my experience, smart phone photography becomes very frustrating in the following cases:
- Fast-moving subjects (especially birds!).
- Subjects beyond about two arms’ reach, especially if you’re hoping for any kind of detail.
I use my smart phone camera frequently when out nature journaling. It is fast, convenient, and takes great pictures within its capabilities. You might find your cell phone a great tool for your own nature journaling as well.
Point and shoot digital cameras
Some of you may be completely unfamiliar with “point and shoot cameras”. Others may remember when they represented the only digital camera option for amateur photographers. Regardless, most of you may question whether they’re even still on the market or why I’m including them in this post. I’m so glad you asked!
Point and shoot cameras go by many other names including “all in one cameras”, “compact cameras”, and “stand alone cameras”. These names hint at why this type of camera can be a great choice for beginner nature journalers.
Modern point and shoot cameras fit into the palm of your hand and into purses, hip packs, and even pockets easily. While larger than smart phones, they are lightweight, inconspicuous, concealable, and take great pictures. Many have advanced features found on much larger, more expensive cameras so offer nature journalers lots of creative range for their photography.
In my experience, point and shoot cameras are best for nature journaling in the following use cases:
- As a travel nature journaling camera.
- Capturing fine details even of relatively distant subjects.
- Subjects in challenging lighting conditions, such as an intricately colored butterfly in dappled sun.
- When you want more creative control over your photographs.
However, point and shoot cameras will drive you crazy in the following circumstances:
- When you need to focus quickly.
- When you need to zoom in quickly.
- When trying to review your photographs while standing in bright sunlight.
I personally love my point and shoot camera for nature journaling and use it frequently. I like the creative control it offers, I appreciate the high resolution and detail it captures, and I love how easy it is to carry on long hikes.
Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras
DSLR cameras are my favorite choice for nature journaling.
These are the large, technologically advanced cameras that most professional photographers use. They are boxy, have lots of buttons, and large, protruding lenses. Picture a “camera” and, most likely, your mind’s eye imagines a DSLR.
DSLRs offer a ton of benefits to even casual nature journalers.
Unlike smart phone and point and shoot cameras, DSLRs accept different lenses, from macro lenses that focus on the tiniest of details to wide angle lenses that capture the widest vistas nature has to offer. This flexibility allows nature journalers to take top notch photographs of everything their hearts desire. These cameras are powerful and their capabilities will complement your interest in nature for years.
I’ve used a DSLR of some kind for my nature journaling photography since 2006. In my experience, DSLR cameras are best for nature journaling in the following scenarios:
- Any and all photographic subjects.
- Challenging subjects in challenging lighting, like photographing multi-colored fish through the water’s surface.
- Fast-moving subjects like birds in flight or grasshoppers in mid-jump.
- Specialty photography, like extreme weather phenomena, panoramic shots, night and astrophotography, HDR photography, and close up and microphotography.
If DSLR cameras are so great and can cover every possible photographic opportunity, why might a beginner nature journaler opt for a different camera option instead? Here are some considerations:
- DSLR cameras require skill and experience to operate effectively. You can flub a lot of awesome shots while on the steep learning curve (you may hear the voice of experience here).
- DSLR cameras are expensive.
- Quality lenses can be expensive.
- Specialty photography requires specialized lenses.
- DSLRs are heavier and bulkier than other camera types.
- DSLRs are conspicuous, hard to conceal, and take up a lot of space in luggage.
To be clear, I absolutely recommend DSLRs for nature journaling. I use mine all the time, except sometimes on vacations when traveling light is my priority. But it’s only fair to let you know that they can be expensive and learning to use them properly takes some dedication.
Writing tools
You’ll find a lot of recommendations about writing tools for nature journaling and beginners have an almost unlimited number of choices. The great news is that most writing tools are affordable and easily obtained, so the risk of making a less than ideal choice is pretty low. Here is a summary of some options and my personal recommendations from over twenty years of nature journaling.
Notebook
A dedicated nature journal or notebook where you can write your observations and reflections is a must to get the most out of your nature journaling hobby.
Memory is fickle and fleeting. In the moment, everything about an extraordinary nature experience feels vivid. You feel certain you’ll always remember every detail. But trust me when I say, you won’t. Save yourself a lot of angst and always carry some kind of notebook with you. It doesn’t have be fancy and, in fact, I advise that you choose a basic, no-frills notebook to start.
Why? Because the value of a nature journaling notebook lies in the words you write in it, not how it looks.
Too many times, I tried to use beautiful notebooks and failed miserably. I just couldn’t bring myself to “ruin” them with my chicken-scratch scrawl and disjointed thoughts. So, I now select functional notebooks that may not look pretty but in which I’ll actually write.
Blank notebooks
I recommend hard cover, spiral-bound notebooks. If you prefer to capture your thoughts in words, consider choosing lined paper. If you like the freedom of sketching in addition to jotting phrases and notes, consider choosing sketch pads of unlined drawing paper.
Pre-printed nature journals
Beyond basic blank notebooks, an option I encourage you to consider is pre-printed nature journals. These notebooks come printed with prompts and information about nature, such as weather patterns, animals, and plants. Pre-printed nature journals can really help you focus while out in nature and find your personal style.
Pens
Most nature journalers love pens. They come in all kinds of sizes, colors, and colors of ink.
I recommend selecting waterproof pens to ensure you don’t lose precious notes if caught in a rainstorm or if you accidentally drop your notebook overboard (which, by the way, I’ve only done twice).
Some nature journalers swear by archival-quality pens. These tend to be much more expensive than basic ballpoint ink pens but write beautifully and the ink truly lasts. I don’t personally use archival pens in my process because I transfer my written notes into my digital nature journal. But if you think you’d like to keep your physical, hard-copy nature journals long term, I encourage you to consider archival pens. That way, you guarantee your writings will stay legible.
Pencils
I’ve used both pens and pencils in my personal nature journaling and really love the smooth, buttery feel of quality graphite skimming across the paper surface. If you’re interested in sketching wildlife or nature scenes into your nature journals, I strongly recommend a basic set of drawing pencils. Any of the well-known art supply companies carry a huge variety of pencil sets and individual pencils as open inventory.
In my experience, a minimum of three hardnesses gives you the best tonal range. For example, I liked my drawings best when I used an “F” graphite drawing pencil for my lightest tones, a “2B” graphite pencil for my mid-tones, and a “6B” pencil for the darkest tones. The marks made with these pencils blend well and won’t dig grooves into your paper.
Options for adding color
If drawing in your nature journal appeals to you, consider adding color to your sketches. So much of the beauty of nature lies in its color- the bright metallic wing covers of a tiger beetle, the gleaming iridescence of a butterfly’s wing or the subtle glow of early dawn light.
You have lots of options for adding color in your nature journal.
Colored pencils are a popular option, and the one I prefer in my personal nature journaling. If you choose a artist-quality pencil, they are clean, vibrant, and both easy to work with in the field.
Watercolor pencils combine the ease of colored pencils with the option to transform your colored pencil drawings into full fledged paintings. Watercolor pencils lay color down dry, just like colored pencils, but if you skim water over the markings, the color melts into beautiful watercolor paint.
Just remember- if you chose watercolor pencils, you should also choose a nature journal made of heavy-weight paper, ideally paper designed for watercolor painting. Otherwise, your paper will buckle.
Other options for sketching in color in your nature journal include soft pastels, oil pastels, and markers. Both soft pastels and oil pastels are messy and easily broken so I don’t use them personally. Markers lay down vibrant color and are easy to use but some have strong odors that can bother you and will be noticed by local wildlife for sure.
Digital nature journaling tools
If you prefer a digital approach, you’ve got a huge variety of options to choose from.
Most smartphones come loaded with a voice recording app and a note-taking app. While you may find the functionality of these apps limiting over time, they are excellent options for capturing your thoughts and impressions in real time when you’re first starting out.
Handheld digital voice recorders are another great option for beginners to consider. Like point and shoot cameras, they may seem like blasts from the past. But consider getting one of these recorders if you’d prefer not to risk damaging, dropping, or losing your (expensive) smartphone while nature exploring.
Computer and phone-based apps allow nature journalers to add photographs, audio files, videos, and other graphics into their entries.
Apps like Evernote, OneNote, or Google Docs can be used for writing and organizing your notes. Apple and Android smart phones support a large number of phone-based journaling apps. These include (but definitely aren’t limited to):
- Day One
- Diarium
- Dabble Me
- Daylio
- DailyLife
Quick start nature journaling kit
If you’re just starting out with nature journaling, I encourage you to start small. Grab any notebook and pen combination you have on hand and your smartphone and head outside. The key to enjoying nature journaling lies in experiencing and documenting your experiences while out in nature. You’re in control of exactly how you accomplish that. Nature journaling requires action, not necessarily the most perfect tools.
As you add entries to your nature diary over time, patterns and trends will emerge about the topics to which you gravitate and your preferred style of capturing your observations. Unlike many hobbies, nature journaling requires almost next to no investment in tools, supplies, or equipment to get started. While you may eventually want to branch out and try different journaling tools, starting small saves you money and aggravation in the long run.
Conclusion
Nature journaling through photography and writing offers a rewarding way to connect with the natural world, capture its beauty, and document your observations. With the right tools and techniques, you can start a nature journal that fits your lifestyle and enriches your understanding of nature. Embrace the process, enjoy the journey, and let your nature journal become a reflection of your unique experiences in the great outdoors.
Happy nature journaling!
