Help - I cant see the wood for the trees!

[Fordsabroad]

I am fortunate in that I own a static caravan on the edge of the new forest and as I am retired am in the position to spend plenty of time in the area. Being in the New forest I feel that I should try my hand at woodland photography but I am finding it a real struggle to see pictures from the mass of trees and Heathland that surrounds me. I have watched some youtube channels which leave me uninspired. Can anyone point me in the right direction for some good woodland blogs or offer advice. I have attached a couple of my attempts below. I am keen to make the most of the autumn colours while the last.
Woodland walk by Gordon Ford, on Flickr


trees by Gordon Ford, on Flickr[/img][/url]Autumn in the New Forest by Gordon Ford, on Flickr

 

[Fordsabroad]

for some reason two images did not attach. I have tried again.
Autumn in the New Forest by Gordon Ford, on Flickr

Autumn in the New Forest by Gordon Ford, on Flickr

 

[Scirocco_09]

I'm not an out and out woodland photographer but dabble every so often, autumn and also winter are great times to try. Look for patterns or trees that really stand out - at the moment things are still relatively green making that difficult but over the next few weeks there'll be lots of opportunities - some trees will turn before others making them an obvious focal point against green backdrops etc. You could also photograph details like fungi. Mist or fog can really help in the woods as it simplifies the clutter. Simon Baxter is very good at woodland photography and is on YouTube, you'd be hard pressed to find someone else who goes into as much depth about it.

 

[Fordsabroad]

Thank you, i will take a look at simons vids.

 

[GreenNinja67]

Nigel Danson is a worth a look too.

But I like all 3 images (first 2 are better than the third for me) so I think you're well on your way.

If it helps I struggle to see compositions in woodland too.

 

[wibbly]

I think the examples you’ve posted are really good to be fair.

Ian Worth on YT is a good watch

 

[Fordsabroad]

I've just watched another couple of youtube woodland vids and I have realised that they all seem to have a dog. Maybe that will improve my photography!!

 

[GreenNinja67]

You'll certainly spend more time outside

 

[LeeRatters]

You've certainly not got bad images so far! I think it's a case of spending more time in the woodlands and learning to 'see'

 

[Fordsabroad]

Thank you Lee. Hopefully the more i get out the easier it will be to know what does and doesn't work. At least with digital it doesn't cost anything to try different things.

 

[TCR4x4]

I live in a different forest and I generally try to pick a single feature, which you appear to be doing already anyway Or the light through the trees Is aways nice. fog and mist tend to add to the ethereal atmosphere too.

 

[JohnFar]

As an alternative to YouTube videos, I'd suggest a more introspective approach (but I'm old...). First, try looking at the work of some highly regarded photographers of the natural world who do trees/woods - Eliot Porter for example. Second - like Lee says - just go and take a lot of consciously different pictures and then look, really look, at the results and see which you most relate to. And then do it again. It was Henri Cartier-Bresson who said 'your first 10,000 pictures are your worst' !

 

[nokk]

this is something i really struggle with because we have a ton of undergrowth in our woods on the east coast. but i found a small aspen grove out west and grabbed a few different compositions. i was looking for patterns that led the viewer from the trees in front to the back of the woods, hopefully in this image from the aspen in front on the left to the rock.