How to Take Beautiful Tree Photos

Nature photography is one of the most popular genres of photography. But in general, not many people concentrate on photographing trees. Trees actually make a very interesting subject for photography. Listed below are a few tips and hints which will help you take beautiful images of trees.

Weather:

Trees look immensely different in every season. One of the best times to photograph trees is in the autumn, when the tones of yellow, orange and red dominate. Spring is equally beautiful, when the flowers blossom and there are bright green leaves on the trees, indicating new life. The mist and fogs during winter can also result in beautiful images.

Photo by: stevewhis

Light:

Light is the most important part of photographing trees, like in any other kind of photography. The condition of light at the location can dramatically change the look of your image. A cloudy day can provide soft lighting, which can help in taking great photos. If you are shooting on a sunny day or during the golden hour, try taking a silhouetted image of the tree. It is very effective for enriching the autumnal colors of the tree. A leafless tree with its big branches can also be accented in silhouette.

Look Out for Wind:

One of the biggest problems while photographing a tree is the wind. It might lead to blurry shots of the branches. To avoid this, you can always make the tree a part of a wider picture by including other elements in the frame. Another method to avoid blur is using faster shutter speed on windy days. To ‘freeze’ the action of swaying branches you might need a shutter speed of 1/250sec or more.

If you want to create a ‘blur’ effect by utilizing the swaying of the branches, use slower shutter speeds.

Photo by: Rik_C

Composition tips

Isolate the Tree: Separating a tree from the other trees can create good images. Removing the other elements and filling the frame just with the tree can make your composition very strong. Using a telephoto lens for doing this is preferable.

Including people in your shot with the trees can make interesting shots. Adding people to the foreground can greatly enhance your shot.

Photo by: Gregory Bastien

Close Up: Move in close. Try focusing on one part of the tree only, for example, the leaves of the tree or the patterns on the bark of the tree by using tight framing.

Photo by: James Jordan

Quick Tips:

• Check that there are no disturbing elements like buildings or wires in the background of your shot.
• Side lighting usually provides better modeling compared to front lighting.
• Try making your shots HDR.
• A snowy background helps to enhance the silhouettes.
• White-barked trees like birches or aspens look very striking when lit by the sun against the shadow of other       trees, or against a blue sky darkened, using a polarizing filter.
• Try using an IR filter to make the image look more interesting.
• If the lighting in your shot is not doing justice to the shot, visit the location again. It will be worth it!
• Always look for interesting shapes and patterns. Photograph from as many angles as possible.
• Beware that getting too close to the tree and shooting upwards using a wide-angle lens can distort the shape of the tree.