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Trevor Sherwin 3/1/24 Trevor Sherwin 3/1/24

Walking a Winter Woods

A collection of woodland photos I took while on a walk through the forest during a brief interlude in a period of relentless wet and windy weather.

What a wet and windy winter it’s been for us here in the southeast of England. Minimal frost, no snow at all and what seemed to be day after day of high winds and rain. Another example of global warming or just a milder winter? Probably both, but for someone who enjoys mild, uneventful conditions to photograph woodland, it means I’ve spent very little time photographing my local forest recently. Sure, I miss it, but on the bright side, it means I have spent a bit more time in London, photographing the cityscape and working on my Timeless City project. So, not too bad really. That’s the good thing about having more than one photographic interest; when conditions aren’t ideal for one subject, I can still find something to photograph that interests me. I may not like photographing the woodland in high winds and rain, but I’m happy to put a raincoat on and take some moody urban cityscapes in London.

Between the long periods of inclement weather, there has (thankfully) been one or two brief interludes where the weather has been calm with conditions more to my liking, and just one or two coincided with my availability to head out into the forest with my camera. So, in the spirit of publishing more pictures from my adventures and avoiding those pesky social media algorithms, here’s a new bite-sized, on-location blog post featuring some of the photos I took on one of those rare winter woodland walks.

A misty woodland scene photographed in the winter by Trevor Sherwin — Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 44mm | 4 Seconds | f/7.1 | ISO125

This trip to the forest took place in December last year, a time when the last of the autumn leaves were just about clinging on. It was cold, misty and frost was underfoot outside the woodland on the open heath. The first two compositions above were quite new to me, only spotted in the weeks leading up to this morning and with the arrangement, the soft defused light and uncluttered background, I think they work well in these conditions.

No trip to this part of the forest would be complete without a visit to an old friend or two. So, while exploring the forest, I wandered over to this woodland character I first met in the spring. I love the way the tree seems to be posing for the photo, anthropomorphically spreading its arms wide towards the camera in readiness to have its picture taken.

You may have noticed most of the photos in this article are square and that’s because, over the last 12-18 months, I’ve become a little obsessed with using this aspect ratio. Truth be told, I’m still working out the finer details as to why this is as it has been more of an instinctive change in my compositional approach to my landscape, woodland and cityscape photography. I touch on this a little in my recent Timeless City introductory post, but when I’ve given it a bit more thought, I plan to write about it in a future article, so if that’s of any interest to you, do keep an eye out for it.

Finishing off my woodland walk, I started to walk back to the car park, stopping off briefly to take this photo below of a young, frosty birch sapling. Ordinarily, it’s a bit of a messy composition, but the subdued tones and misty background help keep the focus on the tree. Along with the subject, I like the colour pallet in the scene, particularly the frosty orange leaves and ferns set against the cooler ice and mist. A pleasant photo in my opinion.

A wintry, misty photo of a young sapling tree taken by Trevor Sherwin — Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 28mm | 1/10th Second | f/9 | ISO125

At the time of writing, spring is fast approaching, so unless we get a late flurry of frosty weather here in the south of England, the next on-location woodland blog post will be jam-packed with lush spring greens, flowery meadows, surrounded by mist and basking in soft, defused light.

Well, we must remain optimistic, right?

Until next time.
Trevor

Trevor Sherwin 1/24/24 Trevor Sherwin 1/24/24

Photographing autumn colour with the Fujifilm XF50-140mm lens

I took a walk into the woodland with just my Fujifilm XF 50-140MM telephoto lens to photograph the last of the autumn colours.

Late last year, toward the end of November (2023), I popped out to the forest to photograph what was left of the autumn colours. Only having a couple of hours to spare that morning and deciding to travel light….(ish). I took just my Fujifilm XT5 camera, the XF 50-140mm f2.8 lens and my tripod. Everything else was left in the car. Don’t worry, this blog isn’t a lens review, but more of an acknowledgement of the single camera and lens combo I used for all the photos during this little photography jaunt.

I arrived before sunrise and whenever I start from this area of the forest, I’ll typically head to my favourite viewpoint with a coffee to watch the sunrise and witness the landscape appear in front of me. It was a cloudy day, but for a short period before sunrise, there was a thin mist in the air, providing a touch of atmosphere across the landscape. So, taking advantage of the cooler, pre-sunrise tones, I took this photo of the undulating landscape below.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 59mm | 1.3 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

As the light levels increased and the mist withdrew into the distance, I photographed the same scene, but this time with the colours in the foreground looking warmer and more autumnal. Wanting to take in the wider landscape and being restricted to a minimum focal length of 50mm, I decided to take a stitched panoramic image. The advantage of doing it this way is that I can switch to a portrait orientation and zoom in further to bring the foreground even closer, making it appear larger in the picture. If I tried the same with a single shot on a wider lens, then I would have a huge foreground, tons of sky and a small slither of trees in the middle.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 77mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

The other benefit of taking a stitched panoramic with 7 or 8 40-megapixel images is that you end up with a super-high resolution file. The panorama above is a whopping 157 megapixels and with so much resolution to play with, I was able to create another version of the image by just cropping it down to a 3:2 aspect ratio. The cropped photo below is still over 70 megapixels. Thats nearly double the resolution of my camera!

Before heading off into the woods and being drawn to how the brighter birch trees looked against the darker trees along the woodland’s edge, I took advantage of having the telephoto lens and zoomed right into 140mm and took some close-up photos of the woodland’s edge.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 2 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 0.5 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

By this time, I had probably been in the same spot for around an hour, so, I decided to stretch my legs and head into the forest to have a little explore. Having just the 50-140mm lens with me, I focused on taking pictures of more intimate scenes, including just parts of the trees and cutting out any sky from the frame.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 111mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 52mm | 0.8 Seconds | f/10 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 50mm | 1/5th Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF50-140mm | 140mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO125

On the face of it, having one lens can appear restricting, but while out in the field with my camera, it didn’t feel like that at all. It felt a little liberating in fact. There was no decision needed as to what lens to use, no faffing with gear and certainly less weight. It helped me to focus my mind and see in a specific way, resulting in me coming away from the shoot with a few photos I’m pleased with.

I hope you enjoyed this bite sized on-location post. In a bid to get more of my photos up on my website, look out for more like this throughout 2024.

Until next time.

Trevor

Trevor Sherwin 10/30/23 Trevor Sherwin 10/30/23

Get To Know Your Local Woodland

In this blog, I share some photos I took during a misty morning in my local woodland and I talk about why getting to know your local woodland is so useful for getting the best possible photos.

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

Trevor Sherwin 7/18/23 Trevor Sherwin 7/18/23

On Location Photographing a Foggy Spring Woodland

With fresh green leaves, a scattering of bluebells and some fantastic foggy conditions, I've shared some of the photos I took during a recent hike through my local woodland.

It’s always a bonus when out photographing woodland to have foggy conditions and that’s precisely what I had back in April, just before the spring growth arrived. I spent a couple of fantastic hours with my camera that morning and you can see some of the photos I took on my previous blog post On Location Photographing a foggy winter woodland.

Fast forward just a few weeks later and the forest had transformed from cold and colourless, to vibrant and very, very green. The colour of the new leaves was almost luminous and whereas it’s not a woodland known for having an abundance of bluebells, there were pockets of them all over the place. As luck would have it, on the day I chose to revisit the forest to photograph its fresh spring colours, I was again gifted with glorious foggy conditions. Lucky me!!

For this trip into the woodland, I used my standard landscape photography gear (which you can read all about here), which includes the fantastic Kase Magnetic filters. The Circular Polariser was particularly useful to add a touch of clarity and reduce a little reflective light from the foliage.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 31mm | 10 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Just a quick note on this character above. This was our first encounter. Set back from the path I usually tread and only a few minutes into the walk, something told me to climb the small bank to my right and take a look around. I’m glad I did. By veering off the beaten track, I’ve now found a new woodland character that, without a doubt, I’ll be visiting time and again with my camera in different conditions.

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 1 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 41mm | 1 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 44mm | 1 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 40mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 31mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 55mm | 1/3rd Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 30mm | 1/2 Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 41mm | 1/3rd Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 16mm | 1/2 Second | f/9 | ISO125

Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 24mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/9 | ISO125

Until next time.

Trevor

Trevor Sherwin 5/28/23 Trevor Sherwin 5/28/23

On Location Photographing a foggy winter woodland

Back in April 2023, when all my weather apps were aligned and fog was predicted for the next morning, I packed my bag and set the alarm for an early morning trip out to my local woodland.

What is the fascination many photographers have with a foggy woodland?

Trees in a foggy wintry woodland — Fujifilm XT5 | XF16-55mm | 51mm | 0.4 Seconds | f/7.1 | ISO125

I’ll try to answer.

Along with simplifying and adding a sense of depth to a composition, nothing brings a sense of mood and atmosphere to a woodland like some mist or fog. Along with softer edges and textures, the diffused light falling on the trees creates an ethereal atmosphere and a sense of mystery in the photos and being drawn to lower contrast scenes in general, the resulting look and feel it can create appeals to my taste and style.

Like a lot of landscape photographers, as soon as the weather app shows even a tiny chance of fog in my local area, I’m immediately planning an early morning trip to one of the woodlands I like to photograph, keeping my fingers firmly crossed that any fog predicted comes to fruition.

So, back in April 2023, when all my weather apps were aligned and fog was predicted for the next morning, I packed my bag and set the alarm.

In my bag was my Fujifilm XT5 and both my XF16-55mm and XF50-140 lenses but during the shoot, I stuck with the standard zoom and the telephoto remained in the bag for the entire shoot.

Thankfully, on this occasion, the predictions were right and there was thick fog throughout the woodland. I decided to concentrate on just a small section of the woodland and in the two or so hours I was there, I must have only walked two or three hundred yards.

I hope you like the photos.

Until next time.

Trevor

Trevor Sherwin 3/27/23 Trevor Sherwin 3/27/23

My Top 10 Tips for Woodland Photography

In this article, I list my 10 top tips for getting the very best woodland photos from when to shoot, how to eliminate distractions and what gear can help improve your images.

I’ve been taking photos of the landscape for a number of years now but more recently, I discovered the joy and subsequent benefits of woodland photography. Woodland photography is a beautiful and relaxing way to connect with nature while still allowing me to practice this creative craft I enjoy so much. It encourages me to explore and learn about the wildlife I see and offers a sense of peace and tranquillity, allowing me to escape life’s more hectic demands, even if it’s just for just a few hours.

During this time, I’ve made plenty of mistakes, learned lots of lessons and picked up new skills that have helped me take better woodland photos. So, this blog post is my attempt to share some of those lessons and provide a little inspiration to those who might not be quite as far along in their own woodland photography journey.

So here are my top 10 tips for woodland photography.

Photographing woodland - Tree roots in a misty woodland — Fujifilm XT2 | XF10-24mm | 11mm | 1.5 Seconds | f/10 | ISO400

#1 Photograph the Seasons

There are so many reasons to pay attention to the way a woodland changes over the course of 12 months and being aware of these can open up so many creative possibilities when it comes to woodland photography. One popular example is to find a particular composition that works in all seasons and take the same picture in spring, summer, autumn and winter, creating a ‘through the seasons’ series. This might sound cliché, but some I’ve seen are simply amazing and it’s a useful little project that encourages you to go back to the same place to observe how it changes. To get the best photos, you might have to wait several years to get a portfolio image of a particular season but chasing that shot is part of the fun. I have a few on the go but haven’t quite made it to all four yet.

Alternatively, knowing how your local woodland changes through the year may also open up new photographic opportunities. There will be places that lack photographic allure in (let’s say) summer but come alive with opportunities at other times of the year. For instance, in my local woodland, there is a lot of fern growth which means parts of the forest are completely cut off in the summer months but from late autumn to late spring, those areas of woodland are easier to explore with the camera.

Another example is the bluebell picture below. Of course, bluebells in spring are beautiful in their own right but in this particular location, the woodland floor is typically messy with fallen branches and patchy plant life, but, for a few weeks each year, the bluebells completely cover the messy floor resulting in a much cleaner photo.

#2 Photograph the woodland whatever the weather

While perfectly defused golden hour lighting can create beautiful woodland photos, don't be put off by cloudy, or even rainy days with less inspiring light. I for one love to head out into the woodland while the sun is obscured as the softer, diffused light of an overcast day can result in quieter, lower contrast images, helping to create a moody and ethereal feel to your photos.

Even if the sky is blue and there is high contrast, midday light to contend with, don’t let that stop you. Personally, I struggle in such situations but when I do find the light too bright and distracting for my usual style of woodland photography, I will change tact and more often than not, point my camera down towards the ground and seek out small scenes with interesting patterns and details hiding in the shadows and away from those pesky specular highlights. More on that in the next tip!

A birch tree in autumn with bright yellow leaves — Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1/8th Second | f/9 | ISO250

#3 Point your camera towards the floor

Getting into the habit of taking pictures of the woodland floor is something I’m still getting to grips with. It took a while for me to move away from the traditional “landscape” style photo and start paying attention to the smaller shapes and textures hiding amongst the undergrowth, but once I did, I never looked back. A year or so into my woodland photography experience, I started heading out into the forest just to see what small scenes I can photograph, completely ignoring the wider landscape photos I usually look for.

With so much texture and pattern on offer, once you get the camera up close to these smaller scenes, you will be able to tap into a wealth of photographic opportunities and although getting down that low can often be a little tough on the back, by slowing down and taking your time to compose the image properly, you will undoubtedly capture some beautiful, intimate woodland photos.

#4 Look out for mist and fog in the woodland

Although it should never be considered the be-all and end-all of woodland photography, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of woodland photographers prefer to shoot in misty/foggy conditions, and for good reason. A scene full of branches and leaves can be a cluttered, messy affair and one of the challenges with woodland photography is simplifying the composition. This is where a foggy woodland comes into its own as not only can a fog add depth and atmosphere to a scene, but it can also help declutter the composition, providing a sense of space and room for the subject to breathe.

#5 Avoid a distracting sky

Unless you are blessed with the defused light of a foggy woodland, there’s a good chance that by including the sky in your woodland photos, you will be left with some distracting highlights around the top of the frame. With the lower light levels under the trees and the bright sky, the dynamic range will be extreme enough to push the limits of most modern cameras. So, what to do if you come across this situation yourself?

Avoiding the sky completely in your woodland photos can be tricky, but one option to avoid it is to shoot from an elevated position. Keeping the camera pointing slightly downhill can cut some or all of the brighter sky out of the frame. Alternatively, if there is space to do so, try stepping back away from the scene and then use a telephoto lens to zoom back in to better isolate your subject.

Lastly, choose a time of year when there are plenty of leaves on the trees. Like with the picture below, during the warmer months, the woodland will be much fuller and as a result, a lot less sky will be included in your compositions.

A summer woodland scene with purple rhododendrons — Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 55mm | 1.4 Seconds | f/13 | ISO200

#6 Pack a circular polariser to give your photos some punch

If like me, you enjoy photographing the woodland early in the morning or in damp conditions, you will almost certainly come across wet, reflective leaves in your scene. Reflective light can be pretty distracting in your woodland photos which is why I recommend packing a circular polariser (CPL) filter in your camera bag. A CPL filter works by blocking the reflective light from entering your lens which means less glare and more punchy colours in your woodland images. This effect is practically impossible to replicate in post, so, to get the very best quality pictures in these conditions, it’s definitely worth mounting a CPL onto the end of your lens.

Just a word of caution. A common mistake many photographers make is to automatically turn the CPL all the way; removing all reflective light from the image. This can result in flat, highly saturated pictures. My advice is to rotate the filter back and forward until there is a good balance between eliminating the distracting reflections and retaining some of the life in the scene.

A very green woodland scene taken in late summer with a circular poloriser filter — Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 29mm | 2 Seconds | f/10 | ISO200

#7 Remember, the woodland is always changing

These two images below were taken in separate woodlands and are among my favourite woodland photos I’ve taken. I’m so happy I found and photographed them when I did because they now look very different as they were both devastated by stormy weather in early 2022.

So, tip number seven is to not take the apparent static nature of woodland for granted. If you find a location worth photographing and conditions are not quite right at the time, don’t wait too long to return. Through the hand of man, or mother nature herself, it can change literally overnight and like in my case, a couple of locations I planned to return to look completely different now.

A springtime woodland scene with bluebells and green leaves — Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 31mm | 0.6 Seconds | f/9 | ISO200

A woodland scene with lots of autumnal colours — Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 29mm | 1/6th Second | f/8 | ISO200

#8 Get to know your local woodlands

This may seem similar to shooting the seasons or observing the changes in your woodland but getting to know your local woodland goes a lot deeper than that. If you speak to any experienced woodland photographer and they will tell you that knowing a location intimately is by far the best way of getting the best woodland photos.

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!

Taking it one step further, having the ability to return again and again means the pressure to get a portfolio image on any given trip is removed, meaning you can relax more as you wander the woodland. This will help you slow down and get under the skin of the woodland, helping you fully engage your mind and in turn, spot compositions you might have otherwise walked straight past.

The below four pictures were all taken from the same woodland only 5 minutes’ drive from where I live.

#9 Try different focal lengths

Depending on the subject you are trying to shoot, experimenting with different focal lengths can transform the look and feel of the photos you take.

A wide-angle lens can help you include more of the scene and capture the grandeur of the woodland you’re in, enabling you to include more compositional elements such as an interesting foreground or more dramatic lead-in lines. As appose to using a wide-angle, the telephoto lends itself to seeking out more intimate details, helping you to eliminate distractions and focus on the shapes, colours and texture the woodland offers. As I mentioned in tip #5, when you have a bright distracting sky, this is where a telephoto focal length can save the day.

Play around with different lenses to see which ones work best for the photos you want to take.

#10 Leave no trace

The enthusiasm for the natural landscape is on the rise, particularly since the pandemic as so many people have re-discovered the beauty of their local woodlands. But all this footfall is having a big impact on these important natural spaces. That’s why, through effective education and following a few simple principles, these popular places can still be visited and enjoyed, but remain protected for future generations to experience.

I’ve shared the bluebells photo below as this is a good example of how our actions directly impact these natural spaces. The bluebell is actually a protected species in the UK and picking or digging them up is illegal but not many people know just how fragile they really are. Bluebells can take years to recover from the damage caused by people trampling over them just to take a selfie, and if their leaves are crushed they can be weakened (as they can no longer photosynthesis). This can all be avoided if everyone sticks to the woodland pathways.

Nature First is just one of many organisations trying to help us woodland photographers to keep these natural spaces safe and they have a few simple principles to follow. By doing so, we can all do our part to preserve our beautiful woodlands.

Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
Use discretion if sharing locations.
Know and follow rules and regulations.
Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
Actively promote and educate others about these principles.

A springtime woodland with a carpet of bluebells — Fujifilm XT2 | XF55-200mm | 67mm | 1/13th Second | f/9 | ISO200

There you have it, with a few simple techniques and ideas, you can take your own woodland photography to the next level.

I hope this blog post will help anyone that might be lacking some inspiration and the motivation to get out there and take amazing photos of our beautiful, wooded areas. if you have any more tips you want to share, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Until next time
Trevor

Trevor Sherwin 6/28/21 Trevor Sherwin 6/28/21

Morning Mist | Weekly Photo #108

Some birch trees I photographed in a nearby forest during some special foggy conditions for woodland photography.

Dawn really is my favourite time of the day to be out with my camera. Whether I’m standing on the bank of the River Thames photographing the cityscape while the rest of London still sleeps or amongst the trees in my local woodland listening to the wildlife go about their morning business, just being there, in the moment makes those early morning alarms worthwhile.

That being said, getting up for sunrise at this time of year, when the days are at their longest and sunrise is at silly-o’clock takes every last bit of my will-power because when that alarm sounds at 3:30 am, I could just ignore it and stay in bed (and sometimes I do). But the mornings when I do get up and head out into the dark, camera in tow are the mornings where I’ve convinced myself that this might be the day, I get the conditions I long for. Which, just happened to be the case just the other week during a fantastic misty summer’s morning in the local forest.

Birch Trees in the mist at dawn in Ashdown Forest by Trevor Sherwin

Fujifilm XT2 | XF18-55mm | 18mm | 1/5th Second | f/8 | ISO250

All the signs pointed that I was in for some foggy conditions as I set my alarm for the following morning. After a few days of heavy rain, the humidity was up in the 90s, the dew point matched the temperature and only a light wind was expected. Sure, weather can be unpredictable and I’d been here before, anticipating some fantastic conditions for woodland photography, only to wake up to clear or uninspiring light. But every now and then, it all comes together and that was the case on this particular morning. So, off I went into the pre-dawn darkness to my local forest.

It was still dark as I arrived, but being familiar with the forest pays dividends on days like this as to save a bit of time, I made my way straight to a spot I’d previously scouted so when the light was good enough, I was already on location with the camera on the tripod, ready to take the picture.

After arriving and setting up my camera, I stopped and waited for the light levels to increase. After I’d finished messing with the gear, it all fell silent around me and only then did the forest come to life. I noticed the trees gently rustling in the wind, twigs falling to the floor next to me while the squirrels jumped from tree to tree and most of all, the sound of the birds waking up with their song.

I recorded the sound I could hear on my phone which you can play below. It’s by no means a professional job and I don’t have a microphone but it sounds ok to me. Whatever you’re doing, find a quiet place, press play and close your eyes for 60 seconds and just listen.

Beautiful, right? I find it so relaxing and it transports me back to the exact moment I was standing there taking it all in After the light levels increased, I took the photo and went on my way. I’ll share that one in the coming weeks.

With the conditions as good as they were, I had to be careful not to rush around like a headless chicken, trying to cram as many compositions in as possible. I had to remind myself to take it slow and seek out the very best compositions on offer. That being said, I had in my mind a scene I wanted to photograph, so I headed to the part of the forest mostly likely to deliver and after hunting for a good 45 minutes or more, I finally found what I was looking for.

I love the look of birch trees in the early summer months, surrounded by fresh green foliage complemented by these misty conditions. I’ve seen plenty of similar-looking photos from some of the woodland photographers I follow and have always wanted to photograph something similar, captured and processed in my own style. After stumbling on this arrangement of trees, I immediately knew there was a picture to be had here.

Out came my camera so I could move around, using the viewfinder to frame the best composition. I wanted the birch in the foreground to be the main focal point, allowing the trees in the background to play a supporting role and add some depth into the image. It was important to me that the colours of the rhododendrons were included on each side to break up the greens a little and add a subtle splash of colour, emphasising the late spring/early summer look I was after.

I find that using a circular polarizer filter in foggy conditions can sometimes lead to a flatter, lifeless photo so I chose not to use one here and instead allow what light there was to reflect from the plants and with my camera now on the tripod and the camera settings dialled in (18mm, f/8, 1/5th sec, ISO250) I took this shot.

Until next week.

Trevor

This post is featured in my Weekly Photo series where I post a new photo every Monday. To have this delivered directly to your inbox, you can subscribe to the mailing list here.