Why Nature Photography Changed the Way I See the World | by Holly Awwad
One of the things I love most about nature photography is that it has completely changed how I move through my day.
Before I started photographing nature regularly, I noticed the big things. Full scenes like a beautiful sunset, a field of flowers, or fall color in the trees.
Now I notice EVERYTHING. A tiny predator and it’s prey. Water droplets on a leaf. A bee covered in pollen.
The funny thing is that these moments were always there. I just wasn't paying attention to them.
Nature photography has a way of slowing you down. It encourages you to look closer and spend more time observing instead of rushing from one thing to the next.
Finding Beauty in Ordinary Places
A lot of people assume you need to travel somewhere spectacular to take beautiful nature photos.
The truth is that most of my favorite images were taken close to home. I’m lucky to live in the country, so a lot of my work is discovered in my own back yard. But I also love exploring nearby trails, parks, or even weeds on the side of the road. One of the ladies who is joining me on this year’s 100 Days of Nature Challenge lives in the city, and she finds the most beautiful things just walking around her neighborhood.
Once you start looking for details instead of destinations, you realize there is no shortage of subjects to photograph.
My Goal Isn't to Create Something That Wasn't There
When people ask about my editing process, they're often surprised by how simple it is.
I don't want to completely change a scene. I don't want colors that don't exist in nature. I don't want greens that look radioactive.
My goal is simply to help the photo reflect what caught my attention in the first place. Maybe that's bringing back some warmth from a summer evening or enhancing the light. Maybe it's adding a little contrast to help details stand out. Maybe it's making sure the colors feel cohesive, natural and true to life.
The photo should still feel like the moment I experienced when I pressed the shutter.
Left: RAW Image
Right: Edited with “Autumn”, the Warm Tone Overlay and the Holly Blossom 1 Overlay from the Down to Earth Collection
Editing Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
One thing I've learned over the years is that editing gets much easier when you know the look you're trying to achieve.
For my nature work, I prefer natural tones, and edits that feel clean and realistic.
That's actually why I created the Down to Earth Preset & Overlay Collection.
I wanted a collection that would help photographers enhance their images without making them look over-processed. Something that worked with nature instead of fighting against it.
The presets and overlays are designed to add depth, warmth, and polish while keeping the colors believable and the editing process simple.
It All Starts With Looking Closer
The best nature photographs aren't created in Lightroom.
They're created when you slow down enough to notice something special. A tiny insect. A wildflower. A raindrop. These are moments most people would walk right past.
And when you get home and sit down to edit, keeping things simple can be just as rewarding. That's exactly what inspired me to create my Down to Earth Preset & Overlay Collection: a set of tools designed to enhance the natural beauty already present in your images while staying true to the scene you photographed.
