Woodland Photo Workshop @ Inwood Hill Park
Thanks again for coming out yesterday and spending a cool crisp morning walking through Manhattan’s only remaining primordial woodland and learning a little bit about how to photograph the interior landscape of Inwood Hill Park.
As I mentioned yesterday, Woodland Photography can be one of the most challenging kinds of nature picture taking that one can take up, but to me, it’s totally rewarding and worth the effort. On a good day, a good photographer will be lucky to capture one compelling image, so don’t be discouraged if your photos don’t come out exactly as you imagined they would. The fun is in the effort, in the contemplative attempts, in being in the great outdoors, in Nature, and to catch a glimpse of her sublime majesty, and perhaps to capture the moment and share it with friends.
Preparation is key before you set out into the woods. While not normally a dangerous activity, walking through the woods can be tricky. More than likely, you’ll be outside for a long while, exposed to the elements, so it’s highly recommended you dress appropriately for whatever weather may come. Typically, the more inclement or dramatic the weather, the better your chances of capturing a great, atmospheric, and compelling woodland image. I always recommend using a tripod, and while that was not a practical option for yesterday’s workshop, one can always crank up the ISO or sensor sensitivity to get a crisp and shake-free image. Also, setting your camera on a rock, tree stump, rail or whatever is around you that can provide some camera stability can always compensate for the lack of a tripod. Remember, it can get dark inside a forest, so you’ll be using a combination of high ISO, or slow shutter speeds if you want to have the kind of depth of field Woodland Photography demands.
Seeing, or the ability to walk through a woodland area and observe what might make a compelling image, is a talent and skill that must be developed just like learning how to use a camera. Not only are you looking to see what a great photo might be, but you are at the same time, deciding how you want to communicate what you see through your camera. The final image is ever-present in your mind even before you click the shutter.
Just as I mentioned yesterday, here are some techniques you may want to employ that should help you improve your woodland photography and get you to bring creative order out of natural chaos.
1. FRAMING – how to arrange the elements in your photos to help frame and therefore focus on the main elements of the photo, i.e., use of trees, vines, rocks, etc., to frame the main subject of your composition.
2. CLARITY - remove any elements in your frame that will distract or take the eye away from your main subject, elements that might take away attention to your story or to what the photo is about. The sky is usually distracting in woodland photography. Find compositions or natural elements that exclude the sky. Clutter is also distracting, i.e. trees, branches, or flora that are bunched up together and do pleasingly blend the other elements together.
3. SEPARATION of compositional elements. Move your camera for a perspective that pleasingly organizes the elements of the photo, providing a sense of depth to your composition, and a pleasing interplay of all other natural elements. Organize the trees, rocks, branches, stumps, etc., so that they don’t look cluttered or crisscross too much.
4. CONTRAST is a much sought-after compositional characteristic as it is rare or difficult to find within a wooded area or forest. Look for contracts in…color, texture, shapes and light.
5. MAIN CHARACTER – find and choose a main subject for your image, i.e., craggy fallen tree, stump, rocks, a babbling brook, etc., and have all other elements in your image play supporting roles in the drama of Nature.
6. ATMOSPHERE - create a sense of atmosphere by including light as a pathway to guide the viewer's eye through your photo. While the interplay of light and dark can draw the eye through the woodland treescape, fog, mist, dust, and any other kind of atmospheric anomaly will add ambiance and a certain mood to your photos.
7. BACKLIGHT – or photographing into the sun can also create an atmosphere. Shot low and into the sun can make for some very dramatic or abstract images, silhouetting woodland elements to their essential form and figure.
Thanks again for participating in the Fort Tryon Trust’s Free Photography Workshop Series, and please sign up to become a member to get the latest updates for even more free programming inside our Upper Manhattan Parks!
If you have any questions or need any help or assistance in your photographic journey, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 917-721-5654. You can see my photos from yesterday's workshop on my website at http://www.michaelpalma.com .
All the best,
Michael
Instagram & Facebook: @palmamir
Read MoreAs I mentioned yesterday, Woodland Photography can be one of the most challenging kinds of nature picture taking that one can take up, but to me, it’s totally rewarding and worth the effort. On a good day, a good photographer will be lucky to capture one compelling image, so don’t be discouraged if your photos don’t come out exactly as you imagined they would. The fun is in the effort, in the contemplative attempts, in being in the great outdoors, in Nature, and to catch a glimpse of her sublime majesty, and perhaps to capture the moment and share it with friends.
Preparation is key before you set out into the woods. While not normally a dangerous activity, walking through the woods can be tricky. More than likely, you’ll be outside for a long while, exposed to the elements, so it’s highly recommended you dress appropriately for whatever weather may come. Typically, the more inclement or dramatic the weather, the better your chances of capturing a great, atmospheric, and compelling woodland image. I always recommend using a tripod, and while that was not a practical option for yesterday’s workshop, one can always crank up the ISO or sensor sensitivity to get a crisp and shake-free image. Also, setting your camera on a rock, tree stump, rail or whatever is around you that can provide some camera stability can always compensate for the lack of a tripod. Remember, it can get dark inside a forest, so you’ll be using a combination of high ISO, or slow shutter speeds if you want to have the kind of depth of field Woodland Photography demands.
Seeing, or the ability to walk through a woodland area and observe what might make a compelling image, is a talent and skill that must be developed just like learning how to use a camera. Not only are you looking to see what a great photo might be, but you are at the same time, deciding how you want to communicate what you see through your camera. The final image is ever-present in your mind even before you click the shutter.
Just as I mentioned yesterday, here are some techniques you may want to employ that should help you improve your woodland photography and get you to bring creative order out of natural chaos.
1. FRAMING – how to arrange the elements in your photos to help frame and therefore focus on the main elements of the photo, i.e., use of trees, vines, rocks, etc., to frame the main subject of your composition.
2. CLARITY - remove any elements in your frame that will distract or take the eye away from your main subject, elements that might take away attention to your story or to what the photo is about. The sky is usually distracting in woodland photography. Find compositions or natural elements that exclude the sky. Clutter is also distracting, i.e. trees, branches, or flora that are bunched up together and do pleasingly blend the other elements together.
3. SEPARATION of compositional elements. Move your camera for a perspective that pleasingly organizes the elements of the photo, providing a sense of depth to your composition, and a pleasing interplay of all other natural elements. Organize the trees, rocks, branches, stumps, etc., so that they don’t look cluttered or crisscross too much.
4. CONTRAST is a much sought-after compositional characteristic as it is rare or difficult to find within a wooded area or forest. Look for contracts in…color, texture, shapes and light.
5. MAIN CHARACTER – find and choose a main subject for your image, i.e., craggy fallen tree, stump, rocks, a babbling brook, etc., and have all other elements in your image play supporting roles in the drama of Nature.
6. ATMOSPHERE - create a sense of atmosphere by including light as a pathway to guide the viewer's eye through your photo. While the interplay of light and dark can draw the eye through the woodland treescape, fog, mist, dust, and any other kind of atmospheric anomaly will add ambiance and a certain mood to your photos.
7. BACKLIGHT – or photographing into the sun can also create an atmosphere. Shot low and into the sun can make for some very dramatic or abstract images, silhouetting woodland elements to their essential form and figure.
Thanks again for participating in the Fort Tryon Trust’s Free Photography Workshop Series, and please sign up to become a member to get the latest updates for even more free programming inside our Upper Manhattan Parks!
If you have any questions or need any help or assistance in your photographic journey, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at 917-721-5654. You can see my photos from yesterday's workshop on my website at http://www.michaelpalma.com .
All the best,
Michael
Instagram & Facebook: @palmamir
