24 PracticalPhotograPhy10 Clicks
SlowthingS downand
ta ketimeto appreciateyour
environment.not onlydoesthis
make for a refreshing change of
pace to a hectic lifestyle, but it
opens your eyes to your immediate
surroundings and the many photo
opportunities they offer. this is
something that James Mills
(jamesmillsphotography.com)
has mastered.
“the above shot was taken on
a misty autumn morning in a Peak
district woodland. i waited for the
light to start breaking through the
mist and, using this as a backdrop,searchedfora composition.oneof
th e keysto woodlandphotography
is to moveveryslowlyso you
becomeattunedto a complex
environmentandthenareableto
‘see’compositionsthatwould
normallybe missed.on this
occasioni noticedthefa llenoak
branchanddeliberatelyputmy
tr ipodlow,usinga wide-anglelens,
tocreatethemagicalcomposition
iwas lookingfor.Preciseplacing
ofth e tr ipodwasneededforthe
compositionto work.
“t heimageof thesheepwas
takenon a separate,foggywintermorning,againin
th e Peakdistrict.
i was exploringa
copseof birchtrees
andnoticeda groupof
sh eepmovingthroughthe
woods.ifo unda compositionand
st oodstillso as notto spookthem.
astheypassed,onestoppedand
stoodon therockas if he was
standingguardas theothers
passed.i useda longlensto
compressthesceneanda tripod
astheshutterspeedwouldbe too
slowin thefoggyconditionsforme
togeta sharpimagehandheld.”tip
Respect
the woodland
Whenwanderingthrough
woodlandstryto stickto
thepaths to avoid
damageto theflora
andfauna.# 7 Be alert to freshviewslandscapes