Woodland landscape photography, or what I could call ” forestscapes,” is a particular niche in landscape photography. And it isn’t necessarily the most accessible genre, although being outside and hiking is relaxing and rewarding. We all want to bring home a beautiful photo as a memory of that woodland. However, the result of our pictures does not always have that calming effect on our experience.

First things first

A nice photo starts with an idea. That is why it is always good to know an area up front. So, put on your walking shoes and start exploring the woods in your area. Discover the fauna and flora of that area. Visiting, revisiting and reading about it will help you discover the multiple possibilities. We need to notice the different moods at different times and weather conditions.

Composition in woodland landscape photography: How to create depth and structure

Ansel Adams already said, “Composition is knowing where to stand “, and precisely, that can be challenging in the middle of a dense forest. Not every forest is as suitable for a good photo.

Trees, shrubs or ferns block the sight, and fallen trees or branches scattered all over the place create messy pictures.  Many forests are chaotic by definition. When the scene is too cluttered, it becomes more challenging to compose. We must learn to see through the chaos of the woodland and create some order in our picture. When we are on the spot, our brains will probably filter out all this clutter. But our camera registers everything, which will distract us from the beauty we want to express. Simplicity will be the key to success. We must learn to look different when chasing photographs in the forest.

Don’t always look for trees as a whole, except for the smaller or distant ones. It isn’t easy in the forest to single out an entire tree. The best woodland photos are those with a soft, smooth background, which isolates the subject to keep the viewer’s attention focused.

Lone trees in the open can easily be isolated, but in this case, we cannot speak about woodland photography.

The feeling of depth plays a considerable role in the composition of our woodland photo. Depth allows us to look further into the woods and creates the impression that the forest goes on and on.

The use of structures and foreground elements for depth in woodland photography

Fallen trees could be used to your benefit as a lead-in line, just as paths or streams. Taking photographs with little depth of field (e.g. F4.0) allows us to exclude the clutter in the background. With little depth of field, we often get exciting colour areas and patterns in the background.

The trunk of a tree will appear powerful, while soft, undulating branches will suggest tranquillity.

I believe excluding the sky as much as possible from woodland pictures is always a good idea. Otherwise, there might be too much contrast between the shadows and highlights.

We should also carefully check all edges and corners in our viewfinder to exclude unwanted protruding branches or bright light spots. Pay special attention to the space and overlap between the trees.

What if conditions are
bad for woodland photography?

If we fail to find the perfect composition because of the combination of circumstances or weather, perhaps that is the opportunity to go into more detail with a telephoto lens and focus on forest details such as leaves, branches, and bark.

The best seasons and weather for woodland photography

The forest is the best place to show the influence of the seasons. Every season, the same scene looks completely different.

In the four-images panel below, I have put together the same forest scene captured in 4 seasons to illustrate the typical atmosphere.

I like autumn with its tonal contrasts and bright and gorgeous autumnal colours. Backlight through the leaves creates vibrant photo opportunities. Check out my blog on colour in landscape photography.

In the autumn, I always carry my macro lens to capture beautiful mushrooms in hundreds of shapes and colours.

You might focus on the fauna, like little tree frogs in more exotic areas.

We know the fresh appearance of lush green colours of young leaves or bright flowers like bluebells in spring.

Snowy scenes in winter are also a perfect opportunity for woodland photography.

In summer, we will be challenged by the darker conditions, even on sunny days, because the leaves are shielded from the light.

Misty days add a magical touch to every scene in all seasons and can simplify the chaotic view. When the sun peaks through the mist, it creates those wonderful sunbeams.

Wet conditions can create reflections on the leaves but also bring out the texture and structure of the tree’s bark. The bark of beeches becomes dark in the rain.

Grey, dull skies and rain will soften the light like a softbox and might simplify the scene.

The golden or blue hour can play an important role in landscape photography, but it might be less obvious or important in woodland photography. The light cannot travel as quickly through all those leaves. Sometimes, it is beneficial if the sun is higher above the horizon and peeps through the trees. Try to avoid the light drawing all our attention. Zooming in could help to exclude overbright spots.

Setting up your camera for woodland landscape photography.

As we all know, the light conditions in forests or parks might be poor. My first forest scapes years ago suffered from camera shake. Unless we increase the ISO, getting pin-sharp handheld pictures will be difficult. Therefore, the use of a sturdy tripod is highly recommended. “You recognise the serious photographer by the tripod”. Perhaps the tripod is essential in your low-light photography kit (morning, evening, darkness, cloudy, in the forest, etc.). We often use a lot of depth of field and, therefore, work with small aperture openings so that little light falls on the sensor. Shutter speeds of a few seconds to even minutes are not uncommon.

Because there is usually little wind in the woods, the tripod can be lighter than the one we need in windy open landscapes. The in-camera timer release or an external remote control will avoid camera shake. This allows us to use a lower ISO setting and prevent noise in our picture. That said, the newer cameras can handle higher ISO settings.

You might have to focus manually when it is relatively dark and there is little contrast.

When using a tripod, we risk being cemented to the ground. Before planting our tripod, we need to move around. Do not forget to switch off the stabilisation system when working with a tripod.

The moving trees might add an exciting dynamic to the scene if it is windy. In such conditions, focusing on the steadier tree trunks is advisable.

Traditionally, landscape photographers first consider a wide-angle lens. But as I already said, composition might be challenging in a dense forest with many distractions. So, do not forget to bring your standard or telephoto lens to single out the more excellent parts.

Shooting in RAW allows you to correct the white balance if needed.

In wet conditions, a circular polariser will help reduce the glare of damp leaves and make the colours pop.

Creative woodland Photograohy techniques?

Dare to deviate from the “path” (literally & figuratively) if not explicitly forbidden. Do not be afraid to get dirty/wet or dare to stand in the middle of a stream, puddle or pond.

Revisiting the same scene in different seasons might give you an interesting series of photos.

Creative photography is also possible in woodland photography with, for example, intended camera movement.

And why not include people in your shot? It will add interest and scale. (see also my blog on people in landscape photography)

Interesting patterns can even be found in dense forests, as shown in the picture below.

With the help of Technology for Woodland Landscape Photography

Pay attention to the sun’s position (shadow and light). A compass and smartphone apps like “The Photographers Ephemeris (TPM)” or “Photopills” can help.

When planning your walks, use topographical maps or Google Earth to find biotopes like ponds, heathlands, streams, paths, and even the type of trees you will encounter. A GPS might also come in handy to prevent getting lost when turning around in a forest. Most modern smartphones come with these systems.

Woodland scenes can also translate beautifully into black and white. But autumnal scenes, in my opinion, deserve full colour.

As always, I am very interested in your comments or experiences. Leave a comment below!