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Author Topic: First post - making the most of forests resources?  (Read 3341 times)

nass

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First post - making the most of forests resources?
« on: September 28, 2010, 11:07:08 am »

Hello,

I live in the centre of forests  in 5-15 miles in every direction (planted pine, some mixed ancient, no streams alas) and I am aware that my use of them photographically is, well, pitifully inadequate. Apologies to forest lovers but many images I see are of some forest paths and dark branches, with a marked peaks in "interestingness" during autumn when there are nice colours about. Which really sums up why, although I love walking in them, shooting there just doesn't seem to inspire me (the luxury of excess, I fully admit).

I would like to open my eyes again and find good reasons to go wandering in the woods. I was really hoping for some inspiration to look at, perhaps some series where someone has managed to do something differently or found amazing light. Would anyone happen to know of any such series, or perhaps some books or tutorials which might go into forest photography and what you can do with it, what to look for, when to look for it, forests in bad weather... and so on?

Many thanks in advance
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Riaan van Wyk

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2010, 01:01:32 pm »

and find good reasons to go wandering in the woods.

Living in the woods has maybe dulled your senses Nass? When last did you sit in the forest just listening and not thinking, feeling the texture of the leaves lying at your feet, hearing the sounds only forests make, taking in the mixture of fragrances..
« Last Edit: September 28, 2010, 06:18:28 pm by Chris Sanderson »
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2010, 01:56:15 pm »

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2010, 01:58:47 pm »

Riaan,

I do not know if you noticed, but there is a humongous empty space in your post, making the rest of the thread difficult to reach.

nass

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2010, 02:07:42 pm »

Slobodan, fantastic, that's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for, thank you :)

Riaan, thank you. That gap is very annoying.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2010, 04:17:05 pm »

Riaan,

You can remove the gap from your post as a kindness to others as follows:
1.   Remove the cat, small child, or your coffee cup from your keyboard (it seems to be sitting on the 'Enter' key),
2.   Click on the "modify" button above your post,
3.   Go to the bottom of your post,
4.   Hold down the 'Backspace' button until you get rid of the extraneous blank lines, and
5.   Post the revised message again.

Cheers,



Eric
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wolfnowl

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2010, 08:36:08 pm »

Quote
I would like to open my eyes again and find good reasons to go wandering in the woods. I was really hoping for some inspiration to look at, perhaps some series where someone has managed to do something differently or found amazing light. Would anyone happen to know of any such series, or perhaps some books or tutorials which might go into forest photography and what you can do with it, what to look for, when to look for it, forests in bad weather... and so on?

I always recommend 'Photography and the Art of Seeing' by Freeman Patterson as an answer to such questions.

Mike.

P.S.  After more than 40 years wandering around the woods, I have never needed an excuse to go there!
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If your mind is attuned t

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2010, 11:54:04 pm »

P.S.  After more than 40 years wandering around the woods, I have never needed an excuse to go there!

Only 40 years, Mike? I was home-schooled in first grade some 65 years ago, and the only thing I remember is our daily walks in the woods. I'll take a walk in the woods over just about anything else, with or without camera. I'm glad some of you youngsters have go the bug, too.

Eric
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Riaan van Wyk

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2010, 12:30:08 am »

Appologies for the gap in my post..The enter button was stuck, had to restart the PC and did not have a chance to return to the site, had to make supper for the offspring, who it seems, played "Need for Speed" on my PC the whole day. I feel an urgent "Need for Straight talking" with them this morning.

Christoph C. Feldhaim

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2010, 02:01:39 am »

Funny - I thought the gap -though a bit annoying- was a cool means to express the
silence of the forest while sitting there in some contemplative mood ....
 :o

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2010, 10:16:22 am »

Appologies for the gap in my post..The enter button was stuck, had to restart the PC and did not have a chance to return to the site, had to make supper for the offspring, who it seems, played "Need for Speed" on my PC the whole day. I feel an urgent "Need for Straight talking" with them this morning.
Better remind the offspring to wash the hands (and dry them) before playing on the PC!

I do like Chris's interpretation of the gap. On a recent woods walk, when we were near the brook we had the lovely music of water over rocks, and at other times the wind was making its own music in the trees. And for a few moments, away from the stream, and while the wind was pausing, we had that delicious silence that occurs only in a forest.

Eric
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nass

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2010, 10:21:11 am »

Forests are fantastic, beautiful, mystical places, I of course completely agree.

Hence my frustration at not seeing or making great forresty images :)
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Lisa Nikodym

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Re: First post - making the most of forests resources?
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2010, 11:45:39 am »

I love (and live near) redwood forests, and have found that forests are especially difficult to photograph well.  Overly large dynamic range, subjects with aspect ratios that don't fit in a 3:2 frame very well, and where the overall environment tends to be the interesting thing but doesn't give you much of a center of interest for photos.  I tried photographing them for some years before I started getting photos that I really liked.  It seemed to take a lot of practice to "see" the good photographs.  I recommend practice.  Don't expect too much at first, but keep looking and keep trying...

Lisa

P.S.  Like Christoph, I originally thought the blank space was an intentional statement too.  ::)
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