Inspiration for trees

Shane

Shane

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Shane
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Hi, I need to get some tree photos for my GCSE course. I drove around the countryside for 2 hours, stoppping by the roadside jumping out and snapping pics of trees. Only when i got home there isn't one decent picture. The biggest problem i found is that the tree i wanted to get a picture of was so far away. So i was using my 70 - 300 VR lens, sometimes at 300mm (hand held). the pictures arent sharp at all, i couldnt find anything in the image that was!
I'm not sure i was out in the best light either, everything looked slightly white washed. Like an overexposed photo. I was out between 4pm and 6pm (6pm there was very little light)
Do i need to just get closer to the tree and use my 18 - 55 lens?

Also, what makes a good tree picture?

All help appreciated :D
 
Hi Shane.

Trees are great subjects - they can't run away and anything and everything works when photographing them! Try some or all of these:

Tree or trees on the horizon - good when backlit (light behind them) reducing the tree(s) to a basic shape.
Get up close - photograph texture of the bark
Lie down underneath the tree and photograph the colours of the leaves - bracket your exposures and take lots.
I suggest just playing around trying to get an unusual view of the tree as most people just see trees the same way - from a comfortable distance and from headhight. If you get close to the tree and get low down close to the ground you will be looking at the tree from a different perspective to the way most people see it.
Also, if it's possible to get above the tree, from a hill maybe, and look down on it.
Just walk around and around the tree looking at it from every angle and take lots of pictures of anything you like. Unless your course specifically says the pics must be in focus why not try taking some oof shots blurring the dtail and concentrating on the colours?
On a windy day try using a tripod and long (several seconds) exposure your tree trunk will be sharp but the leaves and some smaller branches will be attractively blurred by movement.

Good luck. Post some of your results.
 
Hi barsbyart, thanks, they are some very good ideas.

I'd like my OOF pictures to be planned :lol:

The course doesnt really specify, but i think most stuff goes as it is an GCSE Art - Photography course :D

I really fancy the long exposure shot on a windy day.
 
Some excellent ideas given there by Barsbyart,:thumbs:
I especially like the idea of of standing amongst a group of trees and shooting upwards into the foliage .. espeically good on a day with nice blue sky!
Might be a few tree pics you could check out here too
 
Hi again.

One more suggestion - get up EARLY, drive to Bradgate park, Newton Linford carpark and then use your feet; you won't get any really good shots of trees by spotting them from your car, hopping out and then driving on (unless you're really lucky).

BP has some great trees at NL just a few yards inside including some Monket Puzzles.

At Cropston reservoir end there are/were some willows viewable across reservoir and these look great when there's a mist on the water. Long lens.

Or from Cropston end you can walk to Swithland woods.

Oh, and don't forget to photo the deer if you get the chance.
 
Hi ShaneTKD. Trees are one of my specialist subject! ;) If shooting single trees I try to find interesting dead trees, or particularly gnarly ones. An interesting sky and black and white conversions also work well with these sorts of photos. Some here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mohain/sets/72157600997312346/

If you want to shoot in a forest either shoot real early in the morning when the sun in oblique and shafts of light stab through the forest. Or better still when it's overcast, you get a wonderful soft light and everything comes to life!

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I find it surprisingly hard to get a good composition in a forest. Practice makes perfect tho ;)

Theres a few more on my flickr photo stream if you cba to go through it all.

Good luck and happy shooting :)
 
^^ those are very beautiful Mohain, :clap: ...I've tried many times to capture those types of view so I'm pleased to hear you say how difficult it is to find a good composition ... I so agree. lol.

Superb photographs. :clap:


Shane; just get yourself down to the local park perhaps, often some pretty trees to be found ... I like the windy blown trees idea... getting close can work well too.
 
i really appreciate all your help guys. there are some brilliant ideas here. i'm looking forward to getting out and having a play.
Bradgate park tomorrow :D I've never been there before, didnt realise i had so much on my own doorstep!

Mohain, those pictures are fantastic! i love No.2, really looks like early morning.
 
ShaneTKD said:
didnt realise i had so much on my own doorstep!
Click to expand...

Get yourself 25000:1 scale OS maps of your area. I've got 4 which cover up to about a 45 mins drive in any direction out from my house. When I've got free shooting time I scour the maps looking for interesting features and drive off to find them. I've found out so much about my area doing this :thumbs:
 
Thanks Dellipher :D

It was tougher than i thought.
The biggest problem i found is that most of the time you're pointing your camera up at the tree, so the sky often looks burnt out (even on a grey day) or the tree looks almost black.
The image in my other post was 1 image with 3 different exposure compensation values, then stuck back together using photomatix.

Its all good experience :D
 
Hi Shane.

As you say - it's all good experience.

Others have commented on your pics so I won't other than to say well done. Hope your tutor likes it.

From the Cropston carpark - not far inside on the right - there is (or used to be) a tree with a hollow trunk and a hole on the other side so you can see right through it. Might be interesting to you.

P.
 
I'll keep my eye out for it, could create some interesting pictures :D
 
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