How to photograph trees

Trees make for great subjects, and photographs are fond reminders of time spent in nature. David Russell of Highland Magic shares his top tips on how to photograph our favourite subject.

It is relatively easy to take a good photograph of a tree, but of course there are a few tips to learn that will help turn images of scratchy black chaos to graceful and evocative entities. The key is to let the light guide your subject. Like the trees the photographer must take a keen interest in where the light falls. The quality of light should guide your camera and will determine what kind of shot is likely to work.

Uniform Light : Wide shots, Autumn Colours and Isolated Trees

When the forest is evenly lit it is difficult to pick out any one part of it photographically. Being the same colours, the trees blend into each other creating a flat effect, so it is difficult to pick one out individually. So it makes sense to photograph wider shots of the forest as a whole. Autumn colours will work well where there is a mix of species such as Pine and Birch, creating a tapestry of colour.

Strong Moving Light : Individual Trees with Wider Context

This is the type of light you enjoy during the day with gaps between thick clouds. Light spills through the gaps and flows across the landscape creating areas of brilliant light and deep shadow. Perfect conditions to pick out an individual tree against the dark background, and including the wider scenery for context. 

Diffuse Light: Detail, Abstract and Water 

The light of an overcast, rainy day. Contrary to expectations these are still great conditions to photograph the forest. The lack of strong shadows means that you can get great results from close up details of things like bark, fungi and lichens. The colours will pop in this light. A top tip is to find wet surfaces and water droplets. Water holds light and can create beautiful results on otherwise dull days.

Golden Light: Silhouettes, Divergent Shadows and Light Beneath the Canopy

Golden light is the photographer's favourite. Almost any subject works but in the forest there are some particularly strong ideas to work with. Silhouettes of lone trees against the golden sky are simple and pure. If the sun is low then you can capture the shadows spreading through the forest. You can also position the subject between you and the sun to backlight it with low hanging branches this creates a gorgeous effect of the light seeming to be trapped under the tree.

Misty Sunlight: Ethereal shafts of sunlight

This light is the unicorn of the forest. Shafts of light that are given form by the mist and shadows cast by the trees. Most common on cold frosty mornings, this is the ultimate moment for the forest photographer.