Many of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s more than 1,000 conservation and natural areas around the state are popular sites for photographers and videographers.
Whether getting a great shot of wildlife, taking pictures of the landscape, or taking a family photo, conservation areas can offer great places to practice your skills.
In some cases, photography and filming on conservation areas requires a permit.
New starting July 1, 2023: Commercial photography permits and commercial videography permits are no longer required for commercial photography/videography on MDC areas. Instead, a no-cost* special use permit is required in some cases.
* Special use permits are typically no-cost. However, in rare instances, MDC reserves the right to charge a fee of up to $500 each day for photography and videography that involves more than 25 people or has the potential to harm resources or create user conflict. The issuance of special use permits is at the discretion of MDC.
If you need a special use permit, get more details and apply.
Please allow 30 days for processing.
A special use permit is required for any photography and videography on MDC areas that involves:
Not all requests for special use permits will be granted. Permits may be denied to avoid user conflicts, resource damages, safety concerns, or other reasonable justification at the Department’s discretion.
Nature photography generally falls into two categories: landscape and wildlife. Both require different equipment and involve different techniques.
While you don't need thousands of dollars of equipment to take decent nature photos, equipment does matter. It is unlikely that you will be able to take great nature photos, particularly wildlife photos, with your smartphone.
This category is probably the most accessible to the amateur photographer. It doesn’t require as much specialized equipment as wildlife photography, and landscapes don’t move around, so they are much easier to catch!
To take a good landscape photo, the only equipment you need is a decent camera with good resolution and a good lens. While it is possible to capture good landscape photos with a point-and-shoot camera, it is important to have a camera with adjustable settings, such as shutter speed and aperture, to improve your chances of success. Adjustable settings allow you to select a small aperture to maximize your depth of field, or select a fast shutter speed to minimize wind movement, or slow shutter speed to emphasize the movement of water in the scene or similar effects.
Cameras with interchangeable lenses or zoom lenses are also helpful, but if you only have one lens, the best choice is a wide-angle lens. The only other piece of equipment that is very helpful, though not essential, is a tripod, which will help you increase your shutter speed and aperture options.
Two key elements to a successful landscape photo are an interesting scene and light. The first is obvious. Presumably, you are taking the photo because you see a particularly special or beautiful scene that you want to capture. Light is less obvious but equally important. In fact, with the right light, a scene that is somewhat ordinary and mundane can be transformed into something special and beautiful.
Most of the best landscape photos are taken within an hour or less before or after sunrise or sunset. Photographers call this the golden time, and the quality of light created by these times of day greatly enhances a scene's drama and detail. The interplay between light and shadow becomes richer, textures are enhanced, and the light takes on an inviting golden quality.
Composition — what to include in the frame, and where to position it — can be tricky.
We tend to concentrate on just the center of the frame, and we often overlook what is going on around the edges, which can include distracting details. An important rule of photography is to “fill the frame,” to include only that which is important.
For example, if you are shooting a portrait, you want to get close and fill the frame with the subject's face. You don’t want to shoot so loosely that extraneous objects become a distraction. The same thing applies to landscape photography. Look over the whole scene captured in your viewfinder. If you see something that detracts from the scene and the feeling and mood you are trying to convey, crop it out. Change your shooting angle or the focal length of the lens.
Many of the most successful landscape photos include a strong foreground element that guides the eye into the scene but doesn't dominate it. This could be a flower, or a small waterfall, or any number of other things. The wide-angle lens helps with this, as it tends to emphasize things in the foreground.
Use the rule of thirds when composing a landscape shot with a strong foreground element. Imagine your frame is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The best place to position strong foreground elements and other key elements is at the four intersections created by those imaginary lines. In other words, you don’t want your strong anchoring elements to be centered in the frame.
Good wildlife photography requires equal bits of luck and preparation. You don’t need a lot of specialized equipment, but it is really essential that you have one good, big, telephoto lens. Most wildlife is shy and will not allow you to get very close to it.
Even with a long lens, many people are surprised at how close they still have to get to their subject in order to “fill the frame.” Using a blind, vehicle, or some other kind of cover to hide yourself, and keeping as still as possible will improve your chances of getting close to your subject matter.
Long telephoto lenses and long zoom lenses can vary widely in price and size. You can have two lenses that are identical in focal length (magnification factor) but one of them may be three times the size and three or more times the cost of the other. This is because of two main things.
There may be nothing wrong with the smaller, cheaper lens, but you just need to understand its limitations. Using a tripod can help.
While luck plays a large role in wildlife photography, most successful wildlife photographers spend a lot of time researching their subjects. They learn the habits and behaviors of their subjects, including preferred habitats and foods. This helps them maximize their chances of success by putting themselves in the right places and at the right times. They also network with other nature photographers and enthusiasts who share notes about sightings of certain wildlife.
River Region Photography Association presents "The Visions of Nature."
The members of the R.R.P.A. enjoy spending time in the natural areas of Missouri, photographing the flora, fauna and landscapes that make the state unique. Please enjoy their visions, then go out and enjoy your own piece of nature.
Stop by anytime this month to see this exhibit.
Calling all photographers! Whether you’re a professional or just like snapping photos on your phone, the Missouri Department of Conservation invites you to head on out to one of our largest Conservation Areas in the state this summer. With nearly 7,000 acres of land and a wide variety of habitats, Busch Conservation Area is host to hundreds of species of wildlife. From Cormorants on the lake, Turkeys in the fields, and Beavers in creek, the possibilities of spotting some of our incredible Missouri wildlife are endless!
Starting May 1st, photos submitted via email to Sabrina.Hansen@mdc.mo.gov will be printed and displayed in the entrance of the St. Louis Regional Office within Busch CA for visitors to view and vote for their favorite photo of the week! You can also post your submitted photos on Facebook or Instagram using #BuschWildlifeoftheWeek. Fan favorite photos will be hung in the hallway of the Regional Office for all to enjoy throughout the summer season. The last day to submit summer photos will be August 31st.
Photos submitted MUST be taken at August A Busch Memorial Conservation Area, or our next-door neighbor Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Description of the location on either Conservation Area must be included in your email submission. Photo must include native Missouri wildlife, trees, or plants.
While we encourage participants to spot and photograph our flora and fauna, we ask that you remain at a healthy distance from any wildlife and respect all living things on our areas while also following all area regulations.
MDC photographers offer the following tips to help create the best photos: Try going during the early morning, or later into the evening. The light is usually much better during these times than the harsher, midday sun. Soft, cloudy days can also make for some pleasing light. Don’t forget to fill the frame with your subject—close-up photos tend to be much more engaging that subjects seen from a distance. Consider pulling out a macro or closeup lens. There are amazing details to be discovered in our native plants, and a host of tiny and cool insects and pollinators. And finally, be creative and don’t be afraid to experiment.
You can also consult MDC’s online Field Guide at mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide for more information about native wildlife and their habitats and behaviors.
Join photographer Paul Moffett in exploring the birds of the confluence. After retirement Paul started work on documenting, via photography, the birds of the confluence area. He's documented over 300 specimens in that 20 mile stretch between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers confluence and the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers confluence. He volunteers for Audubon at Riverlands primarily working with the Swan Society and Missouri Department of Conservation.
This program is part of our Nature Center @ Night series, the building will remain open until 7:30pm.
