Trees technique

[jcoldslabs]

This is a great little book that offers a nice selection of tree photographs from the past 160 years. I flip through it regularly even though I'm not really a "tree" guy:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Tree-Photo.../dp/1606060325

Jonathan

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Get busy developing those Alabama Hills rocks films! I have 11x14 film I exposed over a year ago still to develop! great oaks!

Vaughn, I'm hoping this weekend. But 11 x 14 in the wind was a challenge. I hope something comes out. I do love the valley oaks. Glad you like them, thanks.

[David Lobato]

Trees are some of my favorite subjects. I spend time observing them and learning angles which show their character. At work I regularly see trees from the 2nd story, up close in a parking garage. Seeing how the leaves are presented to the sun is interesting, something we rarely see from the ground.

I also noticed Ansel liked a mid-height view of trees, and many of his compositions were from an elevated viewpoint looking at a tree, say from an opposite hillside. I have tried finding a higher view with good effect.

Large Format also captures textures and subtle tones that bring out the character in trees. Who can forget the detailed twisted agony of a bristlecone pine?

[djdister]

Sometimes direct sun is too harsh in rendering the character of a tree. Here is an example of late afternoon open shade on a tree with "character" -- there is still a directional quality to the light, but no harsh sun/shade line.



5x7 FP4

[Ron McElroy]

And some interesting work with trees by Beth Moon, a bit on the exotic and unusual side.

http://www.bethmoon.com

Sandy

Thanks for posting this link Sandy.

[Regular Rod]

I have always liked looking a photographs of trees. Especially aspen and birch trees, but really all trees. Two of my favorite books are the Tree books by John Sexton and by Ansel Adams.

And there have been some really fine photographs of trees shown here on this forum.

I am just curious. What is your thought process when your photographing trees. Especially when you are photographing in black and white. What are you looking for to separate your photographs from just ordinary snapshots of trees. Do you only shoot at certain times of the day. Do you only shoot certain types of trees. do you process your negatives differently for trees.
Do you use filters when you are photographing trees.

In short, what do you think about and what do you do to transform what would be a snapshot into a beautiful photograph of trees.

If I can see the tree as a figure or better still a group of trees as figures and I believe I can render that in my photograph then no effort is spared to obtain the result. This applies whether using sheet or roll film cameras.

RR

[Kevin J. Kolosky]

http://home.vasina.net/?page_id=6193

[Bruce Watson]

I've been working on a series of Black Oaks in Yosemite for years. Here are two different ones.

I've photographed that tree! The first one. From the rock in the lower right in your picture. And I had different lighting of course. But it's the same tree, that knot hole is clearly recognizable. And it's been over a decade.

Small world.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I've photographed that tree! The first one. From the rock in the lower right in your picture. And I had different lighting of course. But it's the same tree, that knot hole is clearly recognizable. And it's been over a decade.

Small world.

Bruce, I have been photographing that tree for over 9 years now. I finally got a 14 x 17 carbon print of the beautiful Oak. It is amazing how it seems to be growing right out of the granite.

[Bill_1856]

George once said that this one image supported hm and his family for 40 years.