Using Landscape Photography to showcase trees
Have you ever wished you could capture the beauty and majesty of a tree in a photograph?
They are interesting and fun to photograph, with so many elements to consider: framing, perspective, and balance.
Here are my Top Three Tips and questions to consider when taking photos, as well as thoughts for you, the purchaser, to consider.
1. What Kind of Tree Makes the Best Fine Art Tree Photograph?
That's a question beginner and expert photographers consider. The answer is: it is not the tree itself that makes the photograph worthy of becoming a fine art print, but it is the surrounding landscape elements in relation to it that create a unique and special photograph.
For example, the two photos below could not be more different… the first being a Florida Coconut Palm. Coconut palms are found in tropical coastal areas nearly worldwide. They have a slender, ringed trunk and are topped by a crown of feather-like leaves. The Coconut Palm photo found in my Florida Keys Landscape Gallery captures the tropical feel as they stand proudly in the sand. I find myself wanting to go sit on the bench and take in the view.
Compare that photo with the one below of a row of Southern Live Oaks from my South Carolina Landscape Gallery. I took this landscape photograph at Botany Bay, outside Charleston. The Live Oak photograph could not be more different than the Coconut Palm photo.
The Live Oak often grows to a height of 50 feet… shorter than the Coconut Palm, but it is more massive. Notice the trunk – it is divided near the ground, and the limbs grow horizontally from the trunk. Instead of standing tall and proud, these graceful but massive oaks “bend” to form a tunnel effect. Yet, just as with the Coconut Palm photograph, I find myself drawn into the photo…. I want to walk through the tunnel and sit on one of the benches at the far end of the photograph.
As you view fine art photographs and assess them, start noticing the photographer’s style and ask yourself what kind of fine art print you are attracted to. What landscape elements are important and resonate with you? Do you prefer fine art photographs that draw you into them? Or do you prefer landscapes that you view “from a distance”.
2. How to Take the Best Picture of a Single (Solitary) Tree
When photographing a tree standing alone, the photographer aims to create a fine art print that captures the eye and emphasizes its solitude. You may be surprised to find that the most important evaluation of the landscape scene does not center entirely on the tree itself but, as above, on how the other landscape elements “frame” it… what is happening to make it stand out? How do the photographic techniques of balance and perspective play into the landscape scene?
This photograph from my Utah Landscape Gallery is of a yellow Cottonwood at Capitol Reef National Park. The leaves turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. What makes this photograph work is the contrast between the brilliant yellow leaves and the red rock wall behind it. The green shrubs in the front soften the picture. The vertical and horizontal lines of the red rock only emphasize the leaves. Your eye stays focused on it while taking in the rest of the landscape.
The next fine art tree photograph, Still Standing (from my Florida Keys Landscape Gallery), is totally different from the one above. It has little color and is barren. The background isn't red rocks, but a stormy sunrise sky. It is obvious that, if it could talk, it would have a story to tell… it has been through hurricanes and struggles but still stands. The simplicity and starkness of this photograph catch your eye.
Unlike the two above, my photograph of a solitary dogwood captures a dogwood blooming while surrounded by others, but it still stands out. Dogwoods make beautiful subjects for fine art tree photography. The small white flowers are dainty and contrast with the greens of a forest setting.
I have spent hours driving up and down the roads of the Smoky Mountain National Park looking for hidden dogwoods. I also used two other photographic techniques: using a long lens with a shallow depth of field to blur the background. This allows the blooms of the tree to be front and center …. to be emphasized. My Smoky Mountains Landscape Photograph Gallery is one of my favorites, in part because it includes many dogwood fine art photographs.
So, how do you create a fine art photograph of a single tree? It takes a lot of time to find one that catches your eye and to make sure the landscape background “frames” it in a way that makes it come alive. But all the elements must come together—framing the photograph, creating the proper sense of balance and the proper perspective.
But most importantly, if you are taking a photograph or buying a fine art tree print, ask yourself... Are you drawn to the subject…is there something about it that you find beautiful or intriguing?
After all, the purpose of fine art landscape photography prints is to create beauty and add interest to your home or office.
3. How important is color? Is there a color that makes the best photograph?
As I noted above, color can be very important when photographing trees. I am personally drawn to red leaves…sort of like a bee to honey. One reason I went to Acadia National Park this past Fall was for the red colors that don't really exist in southwest Colorado. In my usual manner of exploring every possible back road, I came across this group of trees that exemplified exactly why I was there. It was a small, intimate scene, but I knew it would look great as a fine art print.
Other outstanding fall colors are the orange tones, and once again, the options are endless as seen in my Smoky Mountains Fall Colors Gallery. In this photo from Cades Cove, the orange leaves contrast with the deep green evergreen trees and the smoky blues of the mountains behind it. Your eye is drawn to the orange leaves that light up the landscape.
Compare the orange-leafed photo above with the Bald Cypress tree photograph below, with its brilliant red and orange fall color reflecting in the calm, mystical water of Caddo Lake, Texas. Caddo Lake is one of the largest bald cypress forests. Thick Spanish moss hangs off, creating a mystical scene.
Caddo Lake is a truly unique fine art photography destination, and the fall colors are well worth the trip. The orange tones in this photograph from my Cypress Tree Landscape Photography Gallery are totally different from the Cades Cove tree.
And when you think of nature photography and fall colors…yellow has to come to mind. I have spent countless hours in the Smoky Mountains and in Acadia National Park…soaking up all the brilliant yellow leaves… on the paved roads as well as hiking on trails that follow the creeks and streams.
My final thoughts as to what makes the best color to photograph are that sometimes just plain old shades of green can create a fabulous fine art nature photograph. My attention to detail and to the shadows makes the various shades of green come alive. You can almost hear the hush of the forest as you view this landscape nature print with shades of green from my Olympic National Park Gallery.
For you, the art collector, having fine art prints can help create a certain mood or emotion in your home or office. In particular, the time I take to emphasize the colors of the leaves helps to showcase trees in a way that makes them vivid and real.
As you scrolled past the photos, did a color catch your eye? Would your family room benefit from a fine art photograph with a pop of red, or would you prefer a fine art print with soothing greens?
In Conclusion
You may have realized that the answer to all three questions in this article simply comes back to this one thought….. it has to be personal…. what attracts your eye and tugs at your heart.
At the end of the day, it needs to be a landscape scene that you find beautiful and makes you wish you could be there… having a picnic, walking past it, or simply standing there and taking in its beauty. It needs to be a landscape photo that creates an emotional connection with you.
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