I take the familiar path along the side of the loch and as I do so, I reflect on my efforts two days ago. The images I produced were reasonable but nothing that really stood out as a keeper. I decide to persevere with multiple exposure images (in camera) as I do not feel I have yet cracked the interiority I am looking for in my Among Trees collection. I decide to use a 70-200mm lens in order to give that sense of being up close and personal with the trees. Hopefully the longer lens will bring the scene from back to front closer together giving a more intense experience.
I had a plan, to work in the same wood as I had two days ago, but when I see the light streaming through the forest on the other side of the track I decide to head in there and it proves to be the right decision. I work on taking the sunrise hues through a stand of trees with the work of Sandra Bartocha clearly in my mind.
Among Trees 50 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 51 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 52 – Alison Price, March 2021
I walk further through the trees and find an elevated position that almost gives the sense for me of being up in a tree, or at least about thirty feet up. I shoot down through the trees and the light is amazing – beautiful browns, orange and grey-blues tones.
Among Trees 53 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 54 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 55 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 56 – Alison Price, March 2021
I feel happy as I work effortlessly with my camera and play with different settings and combinations of images within the multiple exposure. I look up into the trees and get that sense of spinning in the canopy.
Among Trees 57 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 58 – Alison Price, March 2021
Then finally I move into a very dark part of the forest with a denser tree covering. There is very little light except for the speckled highlights streaming through the odd wider gap at the edge of the forest. The light is challenging but I feel strong and positive in my work.
Among Trees 59 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 60 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 61 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 62 – Alison Price, March 2021
Among Trees 63 – Alison Price, March 2021
It is always difficult to take the decision to stop on a day like today, but the light is intensifying, and I know in my heart of hearts that I have already taken the best shots I can, or at least until late afternoon when I plan to head out again. With this experimental photography it is hard to know what you have in the camera, but I walk back with a spring in my step, literally, and start wondering about the images I have captured.
Postscript
I am very pleased with my morning’s work. I think the change in lens have allowed me to capture the interiority I am aiming for. The images give a real sense of being among the trees and the dense and chaotic tapestry of trunks and branches. The brightness of the scene out with the trees adds to the depth and mystery without leaning too much to a more traditional landscape shot. The light was truly spectacular, and I feel I was able to capture it in an imaginative way. The last shot of this series does clearly demonstrate for me that my decision to leave at that point was the right one, but before doing so I captured a winner!
Note
These images cannot be viewed at their best via my blog. They have an unerring sense of depth and luminosity that can only really be viewed at a distance and on a large screen.
