Notes and Images from a Small Island (Practice 2 Day 6)

After spending a day in critical reflection of the first week’s photographic work and writing more about the essence of trees, I head out in glorious sunshine.  The strong but low angled light is not always ideal but when spending time in some dense forest areas it seems it might be helpful.  I spend time in two different forest areas – one with a grassy floor and the other a dark, earthy and cone-covered carpet.

With the low angle of the sun there are lots of interesting shadows in the grassy-floored wood.  I follow some animal tracks deeper into the wood.

I think these images are successful in the sense that they suggest the many pathways through the wood, stepping between the lines of trees.  They capture the strong light and shade of the late winter sun and the intense colours of the wood – greens, yellows and browns.  The leaning trees suggest that the ground is falling away and there is just a glimpse of the loch in the distance.

I look up and the canopy is moving in a circular motion which makes me feel like I am on a fairground ride.  I become transfixed by the movement and endless trunks reaching for the sky.

I particularly like these images as they give a clear suggestion of the coming together of the tops of the trees to form the canopy.  The intentional camera movement adds to the swirling movement as the trees gently sway in the wind.  In Images 5 and 7 the additional colour of the wider trunks and foliage add an interesting dimension.

Spending time among the trees and producing a few reasonable images has given me confidence to experiment more over the next few days.  I will certainly continue to explore the forest floor and look up to the canopy for inspiration.