The Beginning of my Tree Art Journey
My fascination for Tree Art started at the end of 2014. It was more of a coincidence than planning.
I embarked on a journey to Gempen, a small village in the district of Dorneck. This district, along with Thierstein, makes up Schwarzbubenland. A small area in the Northwest of Switzerland. Gempen has a lot of forests, of which most trees are beeches. In autumn, the woods look marvellous. Though, I didn’t go there for the trees.
As the day ended, I looked for compositions to capture through my lens. The sun had already disappeared from the sky. Dusk had given way to darkness, and the blue hour had set in with its eerie, ethereal glow. Out of pure curiosity, I aimed my camera at the distant trees and took a few photos.
One of those images immediately grabbed my attention. It had a unique and captivating quality that set it apart from the rest.
I couldn’t resist the photo, with its calming and peaceful energy. It had a vibe that I liked, and it remains one of my favourite photos. The raw beauty and majesty of the trees inspired me.
Since then, I have been trying to replicate the atmosphere of that image. With more or less success. To find Tree Art is not an easy undertaking. Pointing your camera at a forest and snapping away is not enough. Of course, you can do that, but the results won’t be that good. You have to put a lot of thought into what to shoot and how to compose the picture. Not only that, light and mood are also important. And those factors you can’t influence. The weather is relevant on the day of the shoot.
I don’t have a favourite part of the day. When I started taking pictures over a decade ago, I was more into sunsets and dusks. At those hours, the light is less harsh. Nowadays, I also shoot during the day.
Capturing images during the daytime requires a different approach. You have to take a greater level of care and attention. The bright and glaring light of the sun can create harsh shadows, and blow out highlights. It causes overexposure, making it difficult to achieve the desired result. Thus, I have to be extra cautious when shooting during the day.
Burnt-out leaves and too many highlights are a big no! You can’t save an overexposed image. When the details are gone, they are gone!
That is why I pay close attention to my exposure settings. I aim to avoid burnt-out highlights and overexposure at all costs. A burnt-out highlight refers to an overexposed area in an image. It has lost all detail and appears as a white, featureless blob.
The four Tree Artwork categories of Tree Art
The first is Woodland Poetry, where I show close-up images of forests. I try to get a bit abstract here. The pictures should also have the feel of a painting. At least, that is my intention.
The second is Whispering Trees. Here you find trees in landscapes. It is classical landscape photography, where trees take over the central character.
The third is Ominous Secrets. If you’re into Gothic Horror, you’ll feel at home. It is the category with dark moods and mystery. Who doesn’t like foggy forests?
The fourth is Lonely Entities. Minimal, one tree, that is it. I keep the composition of the image clutter-free, which isn’t always easy. That is especially true if the background has distracting objects. Coming up with a composition that works is often impossible.
Much to explore
I also like infrared photography (Wikipedia). That is something I want to try. As I struggle with the colour green, infrared might help. Spring and summer are the months I don’t feel comfortable taking pictures. Too much green!
Autumn and winter are my favourite seasons. Then I take the most photos. The trees look great in their autumn garment.
Winter is beautiful, too, especially if there is snow. I also like the look of the bare trees. Sometimes, trees look even better naked.
