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Use these tips to take an amazing science photograph

To mark the launch of Nature’s 2022 #ScientistAtWork photo competition, three experts offer tips on how to best capture your science on camera.
  1. Agnese Abrusci
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An animated slideshow of shortlisted images from previous Nature photo competitions

Winning images from 2019: emerging mayflies by Mikhail Kapychka; glowing air by Dai Jianfeng; Weddell seal by Mia Wege; squid capture by Rodrigo Oyanedel; climate ponderings by Nan Li; Adélie penguin by Darren Koppel; mudbath by Xochitl Margarito Vista; and shark imaging by Christopher Brown.

The use of good imagery can be a boon to a researcher’s career: a compelling image could end up on a journal cover, illustrate a presentation or liven up a laboratory meeting. But many scientists do not receive training on what makes a ‘good’ photograph — or the best techniques for taking one.

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Nature 610, 217-219 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-03115-7

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Updates & Corrections

  • Update 08 March 2024: This article has been updated to include a link to the 2024 photography competition.

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