Back in March, I published a blog post listing ten tips that can help photographers take better woodland images, and tip number 8 suggested that everyone should get to know their local woodlands.

You can read all ten tips here, but here is an excerpt of tip number 8: When heading to new locations or those you can’t visit as often as you like, luck can play a huge part in taking portfolio-worthy pictures as you might not get the best light, or you might not know the best time of day/year to photograph that particular location. Having a local woodland only a short walk or drive from where you live means you remove the need for some of that luck as you can keep returning until the conditions are right. If you live close enough, you can afford to be reactive to the weather conditions and as soon as the fog comes in, you can grab the camera and head out!

Well, this is exactly what I did just a couple of weeks ago. Due to other commitments, I had no intention of heading out on this particular morning but for some reason, I decided to check the weather the night before and noticed some light fog predicted around my area. When foggy or misty conditions are forecast, we photographers flock to the woodland like bees to honey as the soft, defused light can add depth and atmosphere to a scene, while at the same time help declutter the composition, providing a sense of space and room for the subject to breathe. This can result in some quite stunning woodland photos.

So, I had great conditions predicted but limited time to get out and shoot. What to do? This is where having good knowledge of the woodland and a list of previously scouted compositions comes in incredibly handy. Instead of heading out and rushing around in search of a composition and potentially coming away with a couple of hastily taken, average-looking photos, I was able to enjoy the little time I had, taking a leisurely stroll between locations knowing exactly where to set up and how to get the best composition of each tree.

An hour or so after arriving, I was back in the car, confident that I had a few keepers on my card and grateful for the time I had spent on previous visits scouting this local woodland.

A misty woodland photo taken in early autumn by Trevor Sherwin — Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 24mm | 7 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Until next time,

Trevor

Get To Know Your Local Woodland

On Location Photographing Waterfall Country

Quiet Light by Adam Gibbs | My Photo Bookshelf