Walking through the woods on a sunny January day, looking for something to photograph to start my woodland project. But where to begin? We often expect nature to present us with clear and striking images to capture, but I am in Bradley Woods again, with all its unmanaged complexity and visual confusion.
So many things are catching my eye as look around. My head is full of the hints and tips from Charlotte Bellamy about composition, but I am wondering just how to put them into practice. I try to think of myself as a composer choosing elements to include in the image, being mindful of the light and the framing to create a composition with balance and harmony.
These two trees appeared to be in harmony, both with equal weight, and I walked around them until I could catch the light on the side, highlighting the dark green moss.
With this in mind I then looked for examples of contrast. Here the stark difference in the size of the trunks offered a possible composition. I took several different shots and found that having contrast in my mind as I framed the image changed my perception. I played around with the orientation and I think portrait works better as it emphasises the relationship between the two trees.
Once I had got into this mindful focussed approach, I was more alert to other possibilities and tuning into the relationships between pairs of trees. The little tree leaning away from the large one tells a different story to the intimacy of the second image.
I moved on, seeking out more images. There is a lovely contrast here between the straightness of the slender upright trunks and the tangled roots. The roots on their own are a jumble but adding the tree trunks into the composition framed the image. It was only in post processing though that I noticed the symmetry between the v-shapes of the tree in the foreground and the one in the background! A reminder to be conscious of what is in the frame when I press the shutter:
Contrast can also be found in having a tonal range in light and similar colours. I remembered to look up and down and found connections between the sky and the water, resulting in these silhouettes:
I realise now that having some principles of composition to guide what I am looking for makes it easier to see possibilities amongst the chaos of this natural wood. I look forward to my next play!
NB: I have found another couple of resources on woodland photography
Nigel Danson The Do's and Don'ts of Woodland Photography - an interesting perspective, but raises the questions about whether there is a 'right' or 'wrong' way to create images. So much more to learn!
What is Contrast in Photography? by Expert Photography
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