Nature Photography Tips for Your Next Road Trip (Plus Great Midwest Parks for Nature Pics, WI and IL)

Jun 28, 2025

We’ve highlighted quite a few visits to national and state parks this year, and of course we know you’ll want to document it! If you find yourself feeling a little intimidated by the idea of taking snaps of the great outdoors, we’ve got great news for you. The equipment you have on hand is just fine, yes even your smartphone! You don’t need a fancy DSLR or expensive equipment to snap a picture of beautiful scenery or wildlife, we all carry a wonderful high tech camera right in our pockets: the smartphone! And you can even do it right from the comfort of your car (after you’ve pulled over safely to a scenic viewpoint or a road shoulder.)

Here’s some beginner tips to try:

We do not advocate photographing while you are driving, and we do not recommend nor advocate that you do this if conditions are perilous, busy, or hazardous in any way. Safety first always!
While on your next road trip, plan a visit to stop off at various vista points and “Scenic view” signs on the highway, and if no one else is around, consider parking your car in the center for a scenic profile shot!
Apply the use of motion blur judiciously, and use a fast shutter speed whenever you want to freeze your landscape clearly. A fast shutter speed from a moving vehicle of passing landscapes will ensure that you have clear cut images without the need to stop your car or use a tripod. A fast shutter speed allows less light in, so you’ll need to up your ISO to assist in the proper exposure. Practice makes perfect, so keep working at it until you find the right settings and shutter speed for your need
Set your phone camera in a dashboard holder and set it to burst mode or timelapse as you head down a road and see what you capture along the way. It can be a lot of fun to document thrilling drives down winding roads, mountainscapes, sprawling highways, and document the changing landscapes from nature to metropolitan along the way.
If you’re a passenger, try and take a moment to snap some photos while the vehicle is in motion, especially if there are animals along the road. A blurry photo may at first seem like a wasted shot but sometimes it can add a sense of dynamic movement and life to your memory books. Remain seatbelted in case of any accident.
When you’re out in the field, bring along a sturdy, balanced tripod to take clear shots and you can then focus on composition and timing.
Shooting during the “golden hour” is preferable, so time your visits along the hours of sunrise and just before sunset for optimal lighting.
Use the “grid” feature to compose your image, and avoid using digital zoom.
The Rule of Thirds is your friend here! Don’t be afraid to experiment with creative angles by getting low to the ground, or tilting your phone to capture things at a new angle instead of straight on.
To avoid a pixelated picture, resist that digital zoom option on your phone. Move closer to your subject, or utilize the grid to frame the scene within squares to crop the image using a photo app like Snapseed or Photoshop Express to cut down the image and center in closer for more clarity.

Now let’s check out a fun list of places that would make a great little road trip for nature photography around the midwest! Check it out:

Big Manitou Falls near Superior, WI is home to Big Manitou Falls and Little Manitou Falls and a beautiful trail system for hiking, camping, birding, and more!
Lake Wissota State Park in Chippewa Falls, WI is a 1,062 acre state park set along the northeast shore of Lake Wissota reservoir. It’s great for camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and it even has a beautiful beach!
Devils Lake State Park Baraboo, WI is a gorgeous state park set along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail with gorgeous scenic views of Quartzite bluffs along each of the many trails. There’s plenty of scenic views to behold, and it’s perfect for both experienced hikers and novices.
Pafrey’s Glen State Natural Area near Merrimac, WI is set within Devils Lake State Park and is a designated State Natural Area, the first one of its kind in Wisconsin! There’s a 1.7 mile trail that boasts spectacular views of the sandstone gorge, and has access to a waterfall.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Bayfield, WI is an incredible destination year round for photographers. This National Park is filled with islands, waterfront caves, and lighthouses. You’ll have spectacular views of beaches and cliffs and local wildlife, as well as sprawling views of crystal clear water.
Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve has a wide variety of prairie wildflowers and gorgeous prairie grasses which are in their prime viewing from May through August. Since it’s open from sunrise to sunset, you’ll have a very good opportunity to observe wildlife active during different parts of the day! It’s surrounded on both sides by housing and manmade structures, making for a unique perspective about how we coexist with nature.
Garden of the Gods Shawnee National Forest near Herod, Illinois and Equality, Illinois is one of the most photographed locations in the whole state! Whether you’re camping or hiking or here for a photo excursion, you’ll find plenty of scenic views and gorgeous sandstone rock formations.
Pratt’s Woods Nature Preserve in Wayne IL is the largest DuPage County forest preserve, and offers numerous hiking, birding, and fishing options. It’s also a prime heron rookery during spring nesting season, making it an absolute must for bird loving photographers!
Starved Rock State Park in Lasalle County near Oglesby, IL has gorgeous scenery that changes depending on the season, including seasonal waterfalls, beautiful caves with deep green mosses and trees, and many brooks and streams. It’s so popular, in fact, that it’s one of the top destinations for local travelers!
North Avenue Beach in Chicago IL is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and offers stunning views of both the lakeshore beach and the Chicago metropolitan skyline, highlighting a magical juxtaposition of man and nature together.