HOT SHOT #2
– the challenge is to make it look like we’re right in the thick of it.”
Into the thicket of it
The woodland was now in full view, nestled within the West Dart Valley. “A lot of people are surprised by its relatively small size,” said Neil
“In some places you can see straight through. The trick is to make it look like the trees continue on as far as the eye can see. We actually want to convey a sense of claustrophobia, if anything.” As they reached the perimeter, they carefully set their bags down. “Don’t get your tripod out just yet,” said Neil. “A tripod can restrict you from finding the optimum composition. You can be much more fluid when you handhold the camera and look through the viewfinder.”
The pro identified two scenes with good photographic potential, and Keith spent a few minutes framing the first scene through his Nikon AF-S DX 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF before setting up his tripod. When he asked Neil’s opinion, the pro pointed to the top portion of the frame in the rear LCD. “Bringing sky into the frame makes for a bit of an eyesore – see how it pulls the viewer’s eye away from the subject?”
Keith heeded Neil’s advice and tilted the camera downwards. “That’s much better,” said Neil. “Technically, we can still see through the trees, but we’re lucky here, because Wistman’s Wood is set within a valley, so much of the sky is obscured by the bank on the other side.
“In fact, I only shoot with a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm here, so your 17-55mm lens’s equivalent 26-83mm (approx) is ideal. Go with anything wider and it’s very difficult to crop out the sky, which leads me into my next point. You want to frame the base of the tree, especially when it’s so dominant. A connection to the ground looks nice – the image can look awkward otherwise.”
Neil pointed to a nearby tree that dominated the scene. “People try to find leading lines or shoot through foreground interest, but I find that simpler compositional techniques work best. Wistman’s, in particular, is naturally chaotic, and if you’re not careful you can amplify that. I like to pick out shapes and create depth using separation. This can be as simple as shooting with a shallower depth of field, or using the available light, so that the tree in the foreground is subtly illuminated but the forest behind is darker.”
Keith shifted his shooting position slightly to frame the base of the tree. “What about exposure settings?” he asked.
“When I’m shooting on a tripod I’ll aim for base ISO,” said Neil. “If it’s particularly windy, I’ll up the ISO to increase the shutter speed. Once I’ve captured a sharp shot, I’ll bring it back down again to see what I can get.” Keith dialled in his D500’s base ISO100 and set an aperture of f/2.8.
“Good,” said Neil. “Hopefully that’ll provide a bit more separation.” The pro then set a 10-second self-timer to help prevent camera shake. “Notice how spongey the ground is,” he said as he gently rocked from side to side. “That can cause a tripod leg to wobble, so plant your feet and keep still when you take a shot.”
Keith used single-point AF to place a focus point on the base of the nearest tree. He then dialled in his shutter speed. “You’re nearly