Woodland adventures
During spring, wildflowers carpet the woodland floor and fresh growth and colour abound. Don’t delay – now is the time to visit your local woods
31 Into the blue
A dense carpet of bluebells is surely the most photogenic of spring subjects. Visit woodland in late April and early May when bluebells typically peak. Avoid bright midday light. Visit either end of the day, when the sun’s low position will cast long shadows across the woodland floor. A 70-200mm tele-zoom is a good lens choice, helping compress and simplify chaotic woodland scenes.
32 ICM
Woodlands are suited to intentional camera motion (ICM). If you have never attempted it before, give the technique a go this spring. Select a slow exposure time of 1/2 sec or longer and then smoothly pan the camera while the shutter is open. A vertical motion works best with trees, but experiment with movement and shutter length too.
33 Overcast light is best
Bright sunlight can create ugly and unmanageable levels of contrast in woodland. Overcast days are best for woodland photography – cloud cover acts like a giant softbox. On sunny days, carry a collapsible diffuser in your camera bag and use it to balance the light when shooting close-ups of flowers and new growth.
34 Double vision
Add creative glow and softness to your
Tree trunks will converge and appear to bow inward, creating an unconventional and imposing perspective
woodland or flower photographs using your Nikon’s multiple exposure mode. This function allows you to overlay two of more frames in-camera. Try taking two pictures of the same subject, one focused sharply, the other defocused, to create a painterly result. Be prepared to experiment with the technique to get the effect you desire.
35 Fresh growth
Don’t just look at the big picture when visiting woodland – shapely buds, delicately unfurling leaves and erupting ferns can be just as photogenic – if not more so. Get in close to your subject and look for attractive shapes, patterns, form and highlight detail. Keep compositions and backgrounds simple.
36 Bring the right kit
Woods can be damp, muddy places, so before you go crawling around in woodland with your camera, pack some sort of ground sheet – a bin liner will do. This will help prevent you and your kit from getting wet or dirty when you’re kneeling or lying down to get that worm’s-eye view.
37 Look up
Don’t forget to look up when visiting woodland. Using a wide-angle lens you can capture distorted shots of overhanging trees. Try lying on your back and shooting directly up – tree trunks will converge and appear to bow inward, creating an unconventional and imposing perspective.
38 Selective focus
Edge-to-edge sharpness is not always desirable. By setting a large aperture and focusing carefully, you can highlight your subject more effectively. A low-shooting angle and longer focal length will further help your subject pop. Focus on a tree trunk or individual flower, contrasting your subject against a backdrop progressively and attractively drifting out of focus.
39 Shoot a spring portrait
A vibrant spring woodland forms the perfect backdrop for seasonal looking portraits.
The diffused light under the canopy combined with a backdrop of colourful blooms provide ample opportunities to capture more creative and stylish family portraits. A large aperture will diffuse backgrounds and keep attention on your model. A reflector will be useful for relieving ugly shadows and creating professional-looking results.
40 Polarize
Polarizers are well known for their effect on clear blue skies, but they are a must-have filter for woodland photography too. By reducing glare and sheen reflecting from glossy foliage, the filter will restore a woodland scene’s natural saturation. Rotate the filter in its mount and watch colours intensify and fade. Stop rotating when you achieve the effect you want.