There's a standard forest picture. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. Dappled light floating through trees and leaves always looks wonderful when one is outside, but most of my efforts to photograph them come a cropper. I am discovering that avoiding forest floor is often a good idea as the muck below often just spoils the effect; if the light is pouring in too strongly between the leaves one just gets lots of blowouts; & taking pictures of dark hillsides, albeit with stippled light, just doesn't seem to work.
I spent a fair amount of time trying to photograph an interesting vine-covered branch with a drooping vine, hanging over the river, framed by the banks, and surrounded by lots of other branches. Don't think I got it but here are some efforts. One of the frustration was the high contrasts; the left bank, the right bank and the sky were not within two stops of one another, so something had to give. Fortunately Barbara showed up in time and advised to expose for the highlights and let the pennies fall where they may. I used a wide angle and a polarizer but, truth be told, I really needed to wade into the water to get the picture I think I wanted. (I did wade into water but that was inadvertent and occurred on the walk back where that excuse for a river crossing found me tempting the gods once too often, and one foot experienced the full wet force of that miserable tributary of the Potomac.)
Anybody else finding these excursions challenging?
2 comments:
Farid: Of course these excursions are challenging--otherwise we wouldn't do them! I feel like I just don't get it so much of the time--especially in the forests. I like to have something structural to give me a focus. But I am learning, mainly to slow down and look at the small details.
I like your images very much. Wide angle is tough because you get that sense of the trees leaning in at the top. However, on the ones with the vine--I don't mind that effect at all.
yes, image posting is reverse, try dragging in posting window, editing after the fact if neccesary.
I'm a little glad for your frustration honestly. If you're not feeling it at all are you really grappling with what it is you might express within the limits of your craft and vision?
I've said it before (and will say it again until you say stop) the woods is the most difficult place to find / make structure (Leslie's word) aka seeing the forest for the trees. It doesn't mean you always need to go macro, just that you must see.
If you can tame the chaos in some worthwhile way, I think you are better trained to see.
Frustrating challenge could become a path to vision.
If the forest simply leaves you cold and does not speak to you at all then not and you will have to find subject that does.
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