Photographing Trees
I never really stopped to think about taking photographs of trees as a specific niche genre of photography. But apparently, it is!
A Google search throws up dozens and dozens of pages on how to photograph trees, and here was I thinking there is no right way or wrong way to take a snap of a tree.
How wrong am I!
Digital Photography School for example offers 8 Tips For Gorgeous Tree Photography, while National Geographic also offers a more formal and structured method of tree photography.
And there are many, many more websites with tips and tricks for photographing trees.
Photographing Trees – My Way
Me though – I just wandered out on a misty morning a few days ago at Ferry Reserve and all I could see through the mist were trees, so I started to photograph them, and just sort of thought “Hey this is pretty cool…”.
The mist provided a great moodiness which made me immediately think – black and white and Nik Silver Efex Pro.
Then this morning, while at Morrison’s Bush, another camping site near Greytown in the Wairarapa, the same thing happened.
Out the door at 7.30-ish to walk the dogs I went and I was greeted by another misty morning and what I considered to be a bunch of photogenic trees.
However, I didn’t get my [hone out and Google “How To Photograph Trees”, I just took some photos, and here they are…and, yes, I know that I won’t get any accolades for such imaginative (not) photo captions.
For anyone interested in the process I use to process these images here it is:
- Captured with a Panasonic G95 M43 camera and 25mm f1.7 Panasonic prime;
- Initial post processing done in DxO Photolab 4;
- Exported to Nik Silver Efex Pro as a TIFF file for conversion to black and white;
- Renamed and resized for the web in DxO PL4;
- Uploaded to here.
If you enjoyed this story, then check out Photographing Trees – Part 2, published on 4 September, 2022.
21 Responses
Excellent. I find trees to be photogenic.
Will read some of the articles you referred to.
Cheers Robert….thanks for your comment, and good luck with your tree photography.
Thank you! Just about my favorite thing to photograph. I’m from the analog era. Black and white…FILM…and a bathroom full of chemicals for a darkroom.
I will read some,
maybe all of the information you cite. Really nice photographs.
Thanks Nancy….I’ve just loaded some Ilford HP5 into my Canon EOS 1000F to shoot some BW….. not sure if I’ll be photographing trees, but who knows? Cheers, Rick.
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A great project is photographing the same tree through the season changes
Good idea….thanks Martin….Cheers, Rick
I take pictures of trees in winter time summer n fall they are brilliant and beautiful !!! How can I see my photos on line too?? Patrickl Smith
Facebook, Instagram, Flickr – all free outlets.SmugMug is a paid service..or start your own photoblog.
How can I share my pics??
Where exactly do you want to share them Patrick?
Two things we need on this planet along with the sun are trees and bees.
And I mean need so thank you for taking these wonderful pictures of one of my favourite things. TREES.
Very photogenic.
Thanks
Thank you for your kind comment. Photographing trees is not a thing I do very often…maybe I should make it a project. Cheers, Rick
When I saw this misty trees photos recollections of 2019 January come quickly .tears were in eyes . missing lovely autumn of Pakistan.
I too love taking photographs of trees, especially the dead ones or the leafless ones.
Also like the photographs in the article.
Thanks Brian. What part of the world are you from?
Cheers, Rick
Hi Rick, Mark from Adelaide South Australia, Thanks for the great shots , I love photographing trees too, we have some beautiful Heritage Suburbs around Adelaide , Old Streets, Old houses & Old Trees
Hi Mark – thanks for visiting my photoblog…nice to hear you enjoyed my story on Photographing Trees. There is a follow up here if you want to check it out.
I’d love to see photos from around your area – I’ve not been to Adelaide.
Regards, Rick
Beautiful series. Thank you.
Thank you
Rick
Oh so happy to hear there is such a thing 🤗 I’m a newbie in photography and always seem to gravitate to photographing trees, I love trees!!! And then I thought I wonder if there’s a genre of photographing trees, I wonder if I can become a tree photographer not really thinking there is any such thing, but now I know there is 🥳 thankyou 🙌🫶
Hi Lisa…trees generally are quite photogenic – more so in some conditions rather than others – i.e. in mist – so I guess it could be a genre in its own right – if not – you can make it one!
Happy days, Rick