It is sometimes true that things are not what they seem. Often when I am in the massive forests of the Great Smoky Mountains I see the trees as they have been seen by human eyes for many thousands of years; and their beauty in those forms carries me completely away. There are other times when what the trees share with me is a sense of who they are as sentient beings, filled with movement and light. And the images they reveal are of something even more timeless and essential.
My camera settings were chosen primarily to maximize the length of time the shutter would be open, given the ambient light. A focal length of 55mm, quite normal, allowed me to isolate an interesting section of forest and simultaneously exclude the sky. An aperture of f/22 also provided some sense of depth; and a shutter speed of 2.0 seconds at ISO 100 gave me a lighter-than-medium exposure (ignoring the fact that the overall tonality of the forest was very medium). It also allowed me to open the shutter with the self-timer on a five-second delay and, while waiting for the shutter to open, to raise the front leg of my tripod and begin a slow and controlled movement of the camera/tripod up and down. Then, just before the shutter was set to close, I returned the tripod to its stable position on the ground.
There is much work that remains to be done – in fact we’ve barely begun – to restore the environmental damage that has been carried out in the name of economics. Find a place, take a stand, do everything you can: this is the only world we have.
Beautiful! At first look, it seems so simple; yet, the longer I gaze at this image, the more interesting new details I find in it.
Hey Donald. It’s always good to have you join me. I really appreciate your kind words and the thoughtfulness of your comment. One of the aspects to your statement that strongly appeals is the notion of increased detail visibility that is introduced with longer looking. One of the ways that detail is achieved is by a longer moment of returning the tripod to its stable position on all three legs at the end of the shutter time. If the “return moment” is at least half of a second, or longer, there will be some detail in the elements of the composition; and the longer the time, the more detail is introduced. If you are in fairly bright ambient light, then the use of a neutral density filter can increase the shutter time. Practice with the concept will give you a lot of awareness of “how to.” Take good care, my Friend; and have a wonderful Holiday Season.
This one is enchanted! Another favorite! All those lines, colors, textures, and shapes are all working in harmony. It is very uplifting and can be anywhere at any time. It must have been a lot of fun creating this. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nancy T. I hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving. This kind of imagery can be created in a variety of settings – perhaps a county park with a small forest. The number of trees that you will wish to include is a matter of choice and what your vision of the outcome might be. They are a lot of fun to create and you’ll be amazed at the different successful outcomes can be achieved. As you experiment with different camera movements and times, you’ll gain a good sense of how they work together to create one result or another. Take good care, Dear One. Walk in Beauty.
Very nice!
Hey Alex. It’s great to hear from you and to have you join me. I hope all is calm and bright in East Tennessee. I can imagine that on all of that wonderful farmland you have to roam in there are beaucoup opportunities to create this kind of imagery. Every time I pass Campbell Overlook going north toward Sugarlands I think of you at that stretch of tuliptrees where you worked so diligently to create the pano you envisioned there. It turned out very well. Take good care, my Friend, and walk in Beauty.
Howdy Don, you have taken us to another level of existence, a world of known and unknown, familiar yet unfamiliar. it’s great fun when we let our minds wonder and our creative grow. Thanks for sharing.
Howdy Michael. I am very honored by your kind words. Your wonderful homeland is a perfect location in which to practice this sort of creativity. Your description of known and unknown, familiar and unfamiliar are the essence of abstraction. The amazing wildlife refuges of the Rhode Island Coast are full of beautiful forests and woodlots; and the bare-limbed trees of late fall and early winter would offer you endless opportunity for play. Take good care, my Friend. Have a beautiful winter and stay safe.
Don, fascinating. You’ve rendered an ordinary place in an extraordinary way. And moving vertically “through” a forest is a wonderful contrast to how we walk through one (horizontally). Thanks for letting us in on the technique; that’s a new one to me, and I plan to attempt it. Beautiful image.
Hi Ray. I truly appreciate your kind words and am delighted that you have decided to give this form of imagery a try. There is absolutely no “right or wrong,” in the outcome, but using all of the usual forms of self-critique with which you are familiar will allow you to determine if your result is successful, or should be treeked in some way. I look forward to hearing how your experiment works. Have a great week and stay safe.
Thank you, Everyone, for joining me for this discussion. Your kind words and thoughtful comments are truly inspirational for me and I hope each of you takes the opportunity to play with this approach. It is delightful to read your thoughts and observations. This is the kind of imagery that can be tried almost anywhere you are.
Expressive images are not only the outcome of traditional camera processes, but they come from using the tools in non-traditional ways. Enjoy the journey, stay safe, and be well.