A favourite subject for many photographers is the tree. Tree’s can be found everywhere, so wherever you are in the world, you’ll have a chance to photograph them. Here are a few ideas for good photos of trees.
1. Lone Trees
These are very strong subjects and can be placed almost anywhere in the frame of an image and still work. It is important not to have rival trees in the frame and is truly isolated. This is not so easy to find. Treasure the view so that you can come back to it at different seasons or weather conditionsThink about the type of lens for Lone Trees. Do you want a Wide Angle or a Telephoto lens. You should try to see your Tree from several angles. Each angle giving a new composition.
2. The Tunnel
Again a common theme but very satisfying especially if there is an ultimate object for the eye to fasten on. This is usually at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel does not have to be an avenue but it could be a single tree with branches arching over. The image you get will be more dramatic using a telephoto lens to compress the distance. You could pose someone or something at the front of the image so that the trees frame them.These tunnels are not common either so treasure one if nearby for the same reasons as for the Lone Tree.
3. Silhouette.
This can be wonderful for bare winter trees. Get the exposure right by pointing your camera at the sky and half pressing the shutter button to set the exposure. Choose trees with a good shape of course maybe your Lone Tree.
4. Infra Red image.
Just by holding a very dark red filter over the lens of your camera you will be able to take a photo in the infra red part of the Spectrum. Later you will need to process them to enhance the contrast and brighten the whites and deepen the blacks. This is best done on a sunny day on a tree with green leaves. The IR Filter such as the Hoya R72 has a cut off wavelength of 720 nm. This is a common type of filter used. More about Infra Red photography later.[Ref https://digital-photography-school.com/convert-camera-infrared-black-white-landscape-photography/]
5. Long Exposure
There are 2 possible outcomes by doing this. The leaves will be blurred. Or the Clouds will be stretched out. Or both. This is a very creative form of Tree photography. You will not know the result until the exposure has ended. How long? I suggest somewhere between 5 seconds and 30 seconds. Then having seen the result adjust for more extreme times perhaps.
"pine-grove-dream" by JeremyOK is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
6. Details
Close up photographs of the various parts of the tree can produce superb images. So look at [a] the Leaves [b] the Bark [c] the Trunk and [d] the Branches.[a] take with the sun behind the leaf or with the surrounding areas softly focused maybe getting the Bokeh effect.
[a] Leaves
[b] get the light grazing across the bark for maximum texture.
[c] try the base of the tree for the roots
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[d] branches covered in snow work very well.
7. Wildlife
If you are careful then try to photograph a squirrel or a bird in a tree. It is best if there are no manmade items in the shot. A tripod and possibly a remote shutter release would be useful for this idea.
8. Trees in Mist
A misty morning is a fairly rare event and so when one appears you have to get out rapidly before it dwindles.
9. Trees in a Panorama
Another approach is to get a long photo by stitching 2 or 3 together or using a wide angle lens.
10. Through Leaves
Why not take a photo very close to foreground items such as leaves to produce an image with very soft objecst partially hiding your trees.
Having mused about several ways of obtaining good and interesting images of trees can you think of any others?
If so do try them out. We would all like to see such gems of creativity.
I thank DPS for some ideas. See https://tinyurl.com/y4gzpa6q