Photograph Trees with These Tips
Looking for a fun photo challenge? Let’s head outdoors and tackle some tree photography with a twist.
When it comes to developing your skills as a photographer, one of the best things you can do is experiment with ways to photograph everyday subjects in more unique ways. Getting started, here are some ways to upgrade your nature and landscape compositions ( This online nature and landscape photography course is designed to teach you how to photograph the beauty of the world around you. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about outdoor photography, including what types of gear to use in every situation, how to work with natural light, and what times of the day make for the most compelling images. Professional photographers explain the nuances of composition, exposure, and framing so you can take better pictures of wildlife, flowers, landscapes and more.
Throughout the course, you will complete a series of photo projects that will help you develop a portfolio of high-quality work. Each project will be evaluated by a professional photographer, your teacher and mentor whose job is to help you succeed. By the time you complete the course, you will have the skills and confidence necessary to shoot professional-quality nature photography.
NYIP Graduates are eligible to become certified by the Professional Photographers of America) when it comes to trees in particular.
Make Smart Lens Choices
One thing worth trying is to swap out whatever lens you’d typically shoot with and opt for a wide angle lens ( For those who prefer the great outdoors over the tight confines of a studio, the ultra wide angle lens is the way to go. This is generally in the 10-20mm range. Be warned, these lenses are so incredibly wide, it’s possible to accidentally include your feet in the photo. Used correctly, you can create spectacular landscapes with sweeping views and colorful foregrounds. To avoid including unwanted objects in the scene, check all four corners of your viewfinder before taking the photo.
Fisheye and other specialty lenses are not something you’ll use every day. Nevertheless, the results they produce can be quite stunning and very unique. At about 8mm, these are even wider than an ultra wide angle lens. Images appear to be round, drastically altering reality. Limited only by your imagination, they are great fun to experiment with. If you’re interested in simply trying one, many camera stores will rent it for the weekend for a reasonable rate. )in its place. This model is great when it comes to tree photography because it helps you fit the entire height of the subject in the frame.
If you don’t own a wide angle lens or would prefer to work with something else, a telephoto lens is also a helpful option here. Especially if you’re shooting your subject from somewhat far away (which if you aren’t working with a wide angle, you’ll likely need to because of the height obstacle mentioned above), a telephoto will help you zoom in and isolate the subject in greater detail.
Try a Silhouette Shot
Trees are actually a very simple subject to photograph when practicing your silhouette photography, so this is a great option for mixing things up.
Especially if you’re photographing a tree with lots of intricate branch patterns, a silhouette shot will really emphasize that detail in the shadow contrast of your composition. To best achieve this photo, adjust your exposure to accommodate not the tree, but the sky. Your subject should then naturally silhouette to accommodate that lighting.
Capture a Long Exposure
When it comes to long exposure photos of trees, it’s actually not the tree itself affected by the exposure adjustments- it’s the sky. To create a really compelling backdrop for your subject, play around with your long exposure settings until you find an effect where the tree looks static, but the clouds and sky behind it look gently blurred.
