Woodland Photography — Slow Photography Movement

In Capturing Context, we share the story behind the image, providing insight into the photographer's approach and experience, and allowing the reader to connect more deeply with the work.

In recent years, I’ve found myself increasingly and irresistibly drawn to photographing compositions of forests and woodlands, compelled to travel to locations specifically to capture a particular species of tree, and explore the wonder of the woods. Untethered to the distractions of modern life, the quiet solitude, the earthy smells, the sound of a gentle breeze blowing through tree branches absolutely reinvigorates the soul.

“Photographing woodlands is not about the capture of epic, wide sweeping vistas, but rather, to really see compelling compositions and interesting details.”

You would think that living in a metropolitan area known as the “City of Trees” would lend itself to woodland photography, when in fact, the tree canopy of my current hometown in Sacramento, California, is largely in an urban area, meticulously planted among the rectilinear street grids and mix of modern and Victorian homes and businesses. What speaks to me the most is the chaos of the natural world, uninterrupted by humankind.

Motivated by a deep reverence for nature, my father planted a small handful of California redwood trees in my grandparent’s back yard in upstate New York before I was born. I recently returned to discover they’re still there today many decades later. While my father and I have always had a tenuous relationship, I’ve always appreciated his love for the natural world. Even though he never saw the redwoods in their native habitat, I always think of him, now long gone, every time I’m in the redwood forest. I believe his passion may have influenced me, only revealing itself decades later through my camera’s viewfinder.

Having that nostalgia and emotional connection, it’s no surprise that I’ve found myself fundamentally drawn to woodland photography. The experience of deeply connecting with the subject, combined with having my camera to capture it, is the epitome of bliss. But, that’s not to say it comes easy; in fact, photographing the forest is an exercise patiently slowing down. Photographing woodlands is not about the capture of epic, wide sweeping vistas, but rather, to really see compelling compositions and interesting details. This is a photographic journey I’m only just beginning to learn and embark upon.

I recently took the opportunity to travel to the Scottish Highlands on a photography workshop to seek out remaining small pockets of Scots Pine, Scotland’s native pine tree. After being nearly decimated in the 17th century for charcoal and ship-building, sadly, only a fraction of this species remains, so a culture of respect for these enduring beauties is absolutely critical to their conservation. Especially with decimated quantities, creating a compelling photograph of this particular species of tree proved challenging. I wanted to be able to clearly convey the subject, and my reverence for it, without the distraction of compositional chaos that forests inherently provide.

“Photographing forests, woodlands, and trees is an exercise in patience, sorting through the compositional chaos of nature. It is, however, also massively gratifying when executed well.”

Weather and lighting conditions account for a great deal in photographing forest subjects. Scotland surprisingly provided more than its fair share of clear sunny days during my stay in the Highlands, but fortunately, misty rainy weather as well. It was on these wet, misty days that our photography group returned to the Scots Pine forest. The hike to photograph these delicate specimens was rewarded with rain and mist, providing an ethereal mood fitting these beautiful and majestic trees.The image above would not be as successful were it not for the thick, dense fog providing visual separation between the foreground pine, the main subject, and the busy background of the forest lined hill beyond. I’ve learned to embrace misty, foggy conditions as an incredible woodland photography opportunity to achieve a visual separation such as this.

The digital post-processing of these types of images requires a light touch. The dynamic range of a RAW image is incredibly easy to over-manipulate. When processing a forest image that conveys the ethereal mood I witnessed, I mindfully endeavor not to overdo my editing. A slight reduction of clarity, and negatively de-hazing are powerful post-processing tools, with more of the heavy lifting captured in camera.

Misty Forest, Siskiyou County / Beth Young

While weather conditions are ultimately beyond the photographer’s control, there is an approach that I’ve found leads me to impactful woodland images, though it may sound a little strange: pay close attention to a tree’s gesture. Look for trees with personality. Look for trees that bear the scars of their environment, whether growing out of rocky soil, or battered by wind with twisted trunks and branches, or exhibiting a delicate, expressive canopy in the daylight. I’m not advocating for attributing human traits to trees, but rather, really looking at what mood a tree is conveying, and incorporating that into your composition and post-processing technique.

The image above, for example, came as a result of a thwarted attempt to photograph a wide-angle vista of Chaos Crags in Northern California; a dense fog layer completely concealed the peaks this particular afternoon. On the soggy hike back to the car, this gestural pine tree with vibrant needles set against a backdrop of vertical trunks, caught my eye for a minimalist composition. Using a basic rule of thirds, the image above would not be as successful if the subject were placed directly center of the frame. Allowing “breathing room” around the subject is important, and I was careful to balance the visual weight of the green foliage with the tree’s darkly colored trunk.

During a recent trip to the far northern California coast, I attempted to apply the principles I practiced in Scotland to the redwood forest. Again, there was no shortage of bright sunny days during my short trip, with lighting too harsh to capture what I wanted. But again, I was fortunate to witness just one random incidence of a temporarily foggy micro-climate, constantly moving, which I literally chased by foot through the forest, away from the redwood trees I originally intended to capture. The image above sat on my hard drive for a significant amount of time. I loved the expressive curvature of this moss-covered tree’s trunk balanced against filtered sunbeams entering into the forest canopy beyond so much, I was actually anxious to process it, being wary of overdoing it and not adequately conveying the delicate mood. Just as I achieve a Zen like state when out in the field, approaching processing these types of images with the same mindset is very important, and it’s okay to let an image sit until you’re in the correct processing headspace.

Photographing forests, woodlands, and trees is an exercise in patience, sorting through the compositional chaos of nature. It is, however, also massively gratifying when executed well. Enjoy the process and the journey, and allow yourself to embrace imperfections! Permit yourself freedom from iconic, grand vistas, and slow down long enough to revel in minute details of lesser known places. Doing so is rewarding and allows for unique and ethereal images, as well as a heightened awareness and appreciation for a delicate and beautiful environment. I have found a deep connection to quiet solitude, exploring the unknown, and teaching myself to “see” in a new way. In fact, this approach is the most gratifying way I’ve identified to experience the sight, smells, sounds, and feel of my beloved forests.