March 30, 2011

55 Fascinating Forest Photographs (And Tips to Shoot Your Own!)

 
 

Sent to you by Raj via Google Reader:

 
 

via Phototuts+ by Joel Bankhead on 3/15/11

Forests are, without a doubt, one of the worlds most amazing natural landscapes! As a photography subject they're incredibly versatile and can go from being mysterious, or downright terrifying, to being majestic and powerful in the space of a few hours!

There is something inherently awe-inspiring about trees, especially when you are surrounded by a seemingly endless host of them. Be it their magnificent size or enigmatic beauty, in the depths of the forest we remember nature's ability to thrive.

In a moment we'll take a look at some inspiring forest-based photography, but first we'll outline a few simple tips that could get you well on your way to capturing something of the essence of the forest!


Take Time

One of the beautiful things about landscape photography is that there is no need to hurry. Take your time and get a real feel for what it is you want to capture. Time is on your side. Lighting conditions can change dramatically throughout the day, and if you're really fortunate, the perfect shot may find you!

Wander through the forest and consider all the possible vantage points, try out both wide and telephoto lenses. A wide lens angled upwards at the trees can bring out the majestic size and scale of your subject, while a telephoto lens is useful for compressing a row of tree trunks and capturing patterns in the trees.


A Point of Interest

As with any photograph, find yourself a good point of interest. It could be a particularly fascinating tree, a splash of unexpected colour, or a pattern in the trees that simply begs you to photograph it.

Whatever your point of interest ends up being, it's vital that you compose your shot in a way that highlights your point of interest to the viewer. Look for interesting patterns in the light; forests have some unique lighting conditions all of their own. Look for rays of sunlight piercing the conopy and creating pools of light on the forest floor.


In Every Season

Forests are a truly wonderful photography subject all year round. In any season, under any weather conditions, and at any time of day forests can show you a new side to their character. From the bright colours of autumn and the bleak depths of winter, to the thriving life of spring.

Hopefully the photographs below will inspire you to get out and capture something of the awesome beauty of the forests.


Photo Inspiration

ViaMoi

forest and woodland photography

paul (dex)

forest and woodland photography

Luc B

forest and woodland photography

Fred

forest and woodland photography

Stella

forest and woodland photography

MorBCN

forest and woodland photography

Luke Andrew Scowen

forest and woodland photography

ViaMoi

forest and woodland photography

Nicholas

forest and woodland photography

josef.stuefer

forest and woodland photography

Fred

forest and woodland photography

Evan Leeson

forest and woodland photography

Ken Douglas

forest and woodland photography

MorBCN

forest and woodland photography

Trey Ratcliff

forest and woodland photography

Nicholas

forest and woodland photography

Dieter Orens

forest and woodland photography

MorBCN

forest and woodland photography

Jose Maria Cuellar

forest and woodland photography

Ken Douglas

forest and woodland photography

Nicholas

forest and woodland photography

Brian Hathcock

forest and woodland photography

David

forest and woodland photography

Jorge Orte Tudela

forest and woodland photography

Trey Ratcliff

forest and woodland photography

Stefan Perneborg

forest and woodland photography

Ken Douglas

forest and woodland photography

Trey Ratcliff

forest and woodland photography

Judy Baxter

forest and woodland photography

Bianca de Blok

forest and woodland photography

josef stuefer

forest and woodland photography

Anna Falactik

forest and woodland photography

Trey Ratcliff

forest and woodland photography

aspheric.lens

forest and woodland photography

ex.libris

forest and woodland photography

Marc Soller

forest and woodland photography

Angelo Juan Ramos

forest and woodland photography

Daniel Peckham

forest and woodland photography

Daniel Hoherd

forest and woodland photography

Michael Klaas

forest and woodland photography

Daniel Hoherd

forest and woodland photography

Vincent Brassinne

forest and woodland photography

José Luis Mieza

forest and woodland photography

Paul Friel

forest and woodland photography

Dietrich Bojko

forest and woodland photography

Eric

forest and woodland photography

Tobi

forest and woodland photography

Jean-François Chénier

forest and woodland photography

Tobi

forest and woodland photography

Kristian Madsen

forest and woodland photography

Joel Bankhead

forest and woodland photography

Frank Wuestefeld

forest and woodland photography

Trey Ratcliff

forest and woodland photography

Simon Bray

forest and woodland photography

Reto Fetz

forest and woodland photography

Further Reading

Here are a few links to really useful tutorials and articles that will teach you more about this type of photography:


Share Your Own Images!

Reckon you have a photo that belongs alongside the above images? Post a link in the comments, we'd really love to see your own favourite shots from the forest!


 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

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