Interesting Photo of the Day: Sunlight Through Forest

Interesting Photos  •  Lighting

With nature photography, photographers have little control over the world around them. This puts them at a great disadvantage. However, the challenge that comes with it is exactly what makes this photography genre interesting and fun. This is also the main reason why patience is of utmost importance in nature photography, as you never know what may turn up the next moment. Something similar happened to photographer Tomas van der Weijden when he was out shooting in one of the oldest and most photogenic woodlands of the Netherlands. He had almost given up, but luckily, he managed to get the following brilliant shot:

“Sunlight Breaking into the Forest of Dancing Trees” by Tomas van der Weijden (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Weijden took the image at 79mm, f/8, 1/40 seconds and ISO 320. He had been walking around in the fog during the morning hours hoping for the sun to come through. But it did not happen for a long time, and so he had given up hope to photograph anything. And right when he’d lost hope, he was presented with this window of opportunity.

“As I was ready to head home again, the fog cleared for just for a few minutes, creating these magical beams of light.”

The rays of light breaking into the wood from between the trees coupled with the foggy atmosphere gives a dreamy effect to the image. The silhouette of the trees in the foreground against the bright and hazy background adds a strong contrast and gives a sense of depth.

Also, it is interesting to note how the trees in the wood are all crooked and twisted. That’s because the locals used to cut down the trees that grow straight. This is the reason why this place is often referred to as a “forest of dancing trees”.

Next time you’re out for nature photography, wait out until the last moment if things don’t look good at first. You never know when nature can turn in your favour.