The Lone and Dreary Tree
Feb, 2013Views
6391
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Awards
Action Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Silhouettes Of Trees Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in 1K Edited Shots Photo Contest
People's Choice in Trees standing alone Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Tripod Required Photo Contest
Outstanding
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
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Behind The Lens
Location
Just outside of my hometown in Idaho Falls in a farmer's field.Time
This shot was taken roughly an hour before sunset.Lighting
Instead of the normally soft, golden light that pervades the sky during the evening this light was strong, and due to the cold wintry weather it had an almost steely blue quality to it. At the moment I wasn't consciously considering the light, but instead was simply circling the tree looking for that right angle. Normally I would avoid backlighting at all costs when shooting a landscape im such light, but shooting with the light behind me gave me only weak muted colors and without any leaves to fill in the negative space the grandeur of the tree simply wasn't there and it disappeared into the background. When I moved to the backlit side of the tree however the form of the tree was pulled awiay from the background and that allowed me to really show the size and reach of this ancient matriarch. By positioning myself directly in the tree's shadow I was able to further increase this effect by creating a greater contrast between the fore and background.Equipment
I shot this with my Canon 1100D using my nifty fifty. A tripod and a remote trigger was used to assure stability, and consistency as I panned the camera, but there was enough light for this to have been done handheld. The considered using a wider angle lens but feared it would distort the tree or make it feel smaller in the shot. However, the aspect ratio of my camera would have forced me to stand so far back that I couldn't isolate the tree properly. The work around for this problem was to shoot the tree in segments and later stitch it together.Inspiration
Honestly, this tree is just so large and majestic standing alone in that field I think any photographer would feel inspired to photograph it once they saw it. The trick was figuring out how to photograph it in such a way that it truly stood out on the print as it does in real life. I started spotting this tree for about a year before I ever photographed it. I would drive by it every chance I got, and if my wife would let me I would stop and look at it from the side of the road. I watched it bloom in the spring, turn green in the summer, and turn orange in the fall with the harvest. Each season the tree's beauty was different, but I never thought that winter would be the season where I finally pulled out the camera. I've since gone back to photograph it during the summer, but in my mind I don't think I'll ever able to do it the justice I did it this shot.Editing
Post processing was fairly simple. The shot was stitched together as a panorama from five photos panning from the left. I desaturated it to strengthen the form of the tree and then boosted the contrast slightly to bring out the sky and the clouds.In my camera bag
My bag is pretty modest. I don't make much money, but the rush of taking photos is too addicting for me to worry about what I don't have. I normally have with me my camera and three lens along with a tripod. Camera was my Canon 1100D, and its with that camera that most of my viewbug images were taken. My lenses are a 18-55mm kit lens, a 70-300mm kit lens, and a 50mm prime lens. I've since been able upgrade to a 7D and am saving to improve my glass, but other than that my kit remains pretty unchanged.Feedback
When you have the time, make be sure to take it. Properly considering your subject with out your camera in your hand will allow you to get an idea of what you want to convey about your subject. When you are able to do that, you'll start making less snapshots and more art. Also, don't be afraid to mix up your approaches. Prior to this shot I was using panoramas to shoot architecture, and without really thinking about it I was able to apply the techniques I used to show the size and space of a tight space in a landscape of all places. To specifically try and capture a shot similar to mine look for a solitary tree with an open background. Even something as small as a house in the background could weaken the shot, so make sure you're aware of everything in the shot and whether or not it weakens or strengthens your composition. If you're not sure, get rid of it. Shoot at evening to get the strong backlighting, and if its possible try and compose the shot so that whatever is in the sky enhances the tree as well.
