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Plus, when you’re on a well-worn track, you will likely only see a fraction of the potential frames on offer. Sometimes even an extra foot or two in elevation can significantly reduce the number of canopy gaps. You’ll be better positioned to shoot across the scene rather than up at it. To help minimize these, look for features in the landscape that can provide you with a higher elevation to take the shot. But looking up like this tends to increase the number of distracting canopy gaps-patches of bright white sky between leaves-at the top of the frame. Sometimes, it’s not until we reach the base of a tree that we see its true photographic potential.

Harsh backlight illuminates the branches in a glowing halo.

Fog softens the background and directs attention towards your subject tree.

The exposed hillside is ignited in a golden glow after daybreak.

A sky full of wispy clouds produces softer sidelight to add shape and depth to the scene.

Direct sunlight reflects off a nearby rock shelf.

I say ‘better’ light as what constitutes this will depend on the scene. So do what all professional nature photographers do-note the location, be patient, and return under better light. Or it could be windy, making all the branches blurry. (If you can, I want to hear your secrets.) It may be the wrong season and there’s too much dead foliage. Great! Go ahead and take a few photos.īut if you’ve just arrived at a new location, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll snap the best shot possible on your first visit. Say you’ve seen a nice tree that’s captured your attention. Yet doing so will drastically improve the quality of your photography. This second tip may be the most straightforward-simply show up again.

And then refine the composition until it’s as compelling as you can make it. But to experiment with new angles and focus on fresh features. The point isn’t to produce perfection with each frame. Shoot from a distance-showing the forest as an abstract grouping of trunks.Īs you try (and sometimes fail) to capture these details, remember that not every image will be a portfolio-worthy shot.Try a shallow depth of field to separate the tree from the background.Look for exposed bark with fresh colors and textures.Switch to a telephoto lens to fill the frame with a few shapely branches.Focus on trunk patterns-experimenting with swirls, lines, and shapes.Try to isolate defining features while obscuring others.Īpproaching scenes with open eyes and a curious mind, you might: So when you find tree scenes too overwhelming, focus on key details instead.