Six ways to shoot... Trees and woodland

Creative ways to get wood looking good

1

Lone trees

Interestingly shaped trees within the wider landscape are always great focal points. Look for lone trees with twisted branches that can be isolated and used to add scale to the rest of scene.

2

Framing devices

Trees, or parts of trees, make great natural framing devices for other subjects. Look to use tree branches to fill an otherwise blank sky, for example, or make a row of trees take the viewer’s eye towards a man-made structure like a church.

3

Think seasonal

When trees are in full leaf, they often lose their interesting shapes. In autumn, the colour of the leaves can really bring the subject to life, while in winter, the skeletal frame of a tree can be a powerful shape.

4

Zoom in

Don’t always worry about the whole tree – get in close. Study the textures and shapes on the bark for abstract compositions.

5

Woodland mist

When you’re shooting a woodland, it can be hard to find a simple composition. In early-morning misty conditions, with the sun rising through the trees, the shapes can become cleaner and more evocative. Try shooting directly into the light.

6

Go slow

Put the camera on a tripod and use a polariser or ND filter to slow the exposure time down, then allow the outer branches and leaves to blur as they are moved by the wind. The contrast between this movement and the solid part of the trunk and sturdier branches can be very effective.