How to Use Trees to Spruce Up Your Shots
April 22nd, 2011
Trees are one of the most often seen subjects in photography and you can find them in landscape shots and as part of the scene in other genres such as fashion, wedding, and wildlife photography. Yet, it is surprising that not too much notice is given to trees, especially if they are not the main subject. It is only after you see your shot that has a tree that it can make or break the shot. Trees are, after all, not so small and if the composition is awkward, they can stand out in a very unattractive way. 
Trees come in all shapes and sizes but one thing they have in common is that they are all pretty tall. The branches form large shadowed areas which may be hard to light and they stay in one spot so you have to deal with the outdoor environment they are in. Being quite large, you will have to experiment with various perspectives to capture them in their glory. By going through these tips, you will have a good idea with how to compose great shots with trees in them.
1. One tree – by singling out only one tree in your composition, you can direct the viewer’s attention to its particular beauty, from its shape and form to how it relates to its surroundings. Trees seem to have character and when you focus on a particular one, you can portray this better by highlighting its uniqueness in you photograph.
2. Watch out for the light – sunlight is the most convenient light source for photographing trees. It’s readily available most of the time and it can illuminate the entire setting. One thing about sunlight is that it varies depending on the weather, the time of day, and the atmospheric conditions. The same tree would be lighted much differently at noon compared to at sunset since the sun’s position will have changed.
3. Look for patterns and textures – you may not need to have the entire tree in your shot, a close up view can show off various patterns and textures. Since a tree is made up of various parts, from leaves to roots, each part looks different from the rest.
4. Use various angles – a tree can appear different at different angles so do not stick to only one shooting position or angle. Try to walk around the tree to find out its more interesting side. By doing so, you are also changing the background elements.
5. Include the ground – if you are taking a full-length shot of a tree, include the base or the ground instead of cropping it out. Keeping the ground visible in the shot adds context and perspective to the image. Roots, leaves, grass and flowers found at the base of the tree can provide added interest.
6. Use it to frame the main subject – trees can also be used as a secondary subject to naturally frame the main subject. For instance, if your subject is a structure or a human figure, a tree on one side with its outstretched branches can appear to act as a frame to draw the eye to the subject.
