Expressive Photography: Scottish Rain Forests

[@QuietLightPhoto]

Good analogy between my hair and a busy forest, couldn’t agree more😉

[@Alister_Benn]

😂😂😂 you know I love you buddy

[@DaveMorrow]

Really nice images! Enjoyed the video

[@joeyamar372]

Excellent info. Well done

[@glensumner3425]

fab I liked it so much I doubly liked it... ;)

[@Alister_Benn]

Yeah 😂😂😂

[@BruceMcGrath1954]

Alister , your approach to this subject is so refreshing, where I live here in Australia I am surrounded by eucalyptus and pine plantations ( I work at a paper mill 😳) But unlike Scotland, with grand vistas upon high (we toured though The lakes district and the like in 2019 }. When I go into the forest I can’t see the “trees for the forest!” But with your vision I reckon I will stop looking at an impenetrable forest and concentrate more on the “Trees” thanks for your unique guidance. Cheers from down under 👍🏻❤️🍷🇦🇺

[@claudehamel9228]

So good from a teaching perspective!

[@JamesLanePhoto]

“King of the old growth” 😂😂

[@Alister_Benn]

LOL< I couldn't resist

[@iansimpson888]

glad it's not just me who has a thing for the hanging mossy lovelyness. i've spent hours creeping about in the semi-darkness of the forests around strontian, and managed to fill a week on Arran bumbling around looking for a trig point hidden in a boggy, mossy plantation.....your videos and work help affirm that i'm not making bad life choices!!!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Sounds like a great way to spend your time 😀

[@jacktaylor6190]

Nicely done Alister!

[@amyverhague1491]

Neat tip about the warp tool, never thought of it using that way. Thanks! Also, really enjoyed your Adam joke. :-)

[@PaulBeiser]

Thanks for an exceptional lesson on working a scene creatively and technically! Love the back and forth dynamics. And with this image you have made me a 16x9 fan - I like the feel of it and how the 3 trees on the right don't 'dominate' the scene as much as they do in the 4x5. Thanks again!

[@robertgilbert484]

Loved the joke about Adam's hair, it is getting rather luxurious! I doubt if there would be any "old Growth" forests left in Scotland. I think most of it was cleared during the Industrial Revolution, AFAIK.

[@stephensmith9236]

16x9 is my preference. Like the way the colour space cooled down the background to a bluesy grey mist which helps the trees stand out

[@Alister_Benn]

Happy to hear that :-) I keep diving between the 2!!

[@TimberGeek]

I like that final edit on the 4x5.

[@Alister_Benn]

Yes, I prefer that one too! :-)

[@AmbientWanderer]

Love the final edit Alister

[@julianheritage6436]

Fantastic trees and considerate processing. Regarding that little bit of sky in the frame, I would always use clone stamp, patch tool or content aware healing brush. Never thought about using warp or distortion, thanks for the pointer

[@jamesurzykowski4918]

There is so much you can do in digital cameras now days. On occasion I do shoot Pano’s but never do I chose different formats when composing a picture. What a difference it can make in the final image.

[@Professor_Internet_PhD]

Excellent advise about "harvesting data." The warp tool tip is good advice too, sounds like a good alternative to cloning. I was wondering if you could tell me about the advantage of cropping a shot in camera as opposed to cropping it at home, certainly in regards to harvesting data? I could see how it could be beneficial to be able to see the crop you are envisioning for your composition immediately. Is that the advantage, or is there more?

[@janeqol438]

Really enjoyed this video Alister, very informative on all levels. I have been searching the woodlands around here (usually tracking the dog which has taken a liking to trying to find the trails of the recently arrived beavers!!) and finding some great mossy trees and the moss by the burns is amazing this year. Take care and stay safe too. 💜

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, thank you! hope you are doing okay!

[@Rielcool]

Fascinating contrast between the different aspect ratios on this scene ! Although very similar the shots feel entirely different to me. The fullness of the frame and closeness of the subjects in the 4x5 create a lot of tension, almost an uncomfortable claustrophobia for me. While the spacing and the breathing room the subjects have in the 16x9 create a more inviting and calm atmosphere. At least that is my take on it. Thank you for another fantastic video.

[@Alister_Benn]

Every choice has a consequence

[@tjsinva]

Oddly, in both pictures, my eyes were drawn to the dark areas. In the 4x5, the lone dark tree to the left of center appears to be lurking in the depths. In the 16x9, the dark area seems to be an endless corridor into mysterious depths. Perhaps some psychological message, or maybe I just need more coffee. Hope you've both dried out. Cheers!

[@Alister_Benn]

Lol, barely dried out!

[@blivieriphoto]

Haahaa, "I'm a big fan of Adam Gibbs' "old growth"." I too love those mossy old trees. Lovely! I agree with you and like the 16:9 image. Feels like you could just walk in and experience it for yourself. Thanks for sharing Alister!!

[@Alister_Benn]

I only did that joke for you :-)

[@blivieriphoto]

@@Alister_Benn haahaa

[@roykropp155]

Very interesting and informative presentation. I especially appreciate the discussion of the use of the different formats to convey different meanings. Also, the explanation of the use of a cool versus warm tone is helpful and will give me something to think about when photographing in the rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula. Thank you.

[@howardrankin7119]

A well paced compelling blend of artistic and technical insights. Would love to see your use of warp in action

[@LukeOrwin]

Great video. I prefer the 4x5 as with the other you get the broken tree on the right hand side of the frame. Something about the contrast between the green of it and the darker colour from the tree behind.

[@cicco5833]

Another great tutorial. I’m new to photograph and live on the east coast of Vancouver island. We have lots of dark forest like the image you’ve shared. Just curious why not slow the shutter to bring down the ISO.

[@Alister_Benn]

Super windy, had to shoot 2000 ISO to stop massive blurring. The Nikon D850 is fine at that.

[@nevillethorogood3639]

The 16 x 9 is my favourite, I feel this image gives the seen a much deeper presence.

[@Alister_Benn]

Isn't it curious how such a simple change makes such a huge difference.

[@philipculbertson55]

Personally, I like the 4x5 crop the best. That left side of the 16x9 just takes my eye away. Something about the lean of the little tree I think and also, it is neither in nor out. Just an opinion though. Still a great subject. A little light really makes moss on trees glow.

[@esanford]

Another great one.... I really got a lot out of doing aspect ration adjustments in the field.

[@Alister_Benn]

Excellent, happy to hear that

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Alister: I didn't realize that Scotland had these types of rain forests so that gets me really excited as I plan our trip to Scotland in the fall. We will be spending time in GlenCoe and the Isle of Skye so would I be the general area to experience this? I really liked your PS changes with your images, and I hope that you share those techniques within your Member Community. I really like the 16:9 crop for this image. Cheers, Keith P.S. I noticed the rain, so if I could offer you a suggestion I use the "Sport-Brella Versa-Brella" which attaches to a tripod and it works well as a general purpose umbrella with a silver reflector on the under-side .

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Kieth. Certainly the further west you go the mossier the trees get. The Brella is a fine idea as long as it is not too windy! Which it often is :-)

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

I think that I prefer the 4x5 version, although I have to admit it's not my favourite photograph. Still, after editing it does look a lot more attractive than before!

[@Alister_Benn]

It was a pretty wild shoot, it was very wild , wet and windy. The photographs were never intended to be “pretty” just expressive

[@michaelmckeag960]

I don’t find an option for 16:9 in the D850 image area settings (Photo Shooting menu). Of course all of the options for video are that aspect ratio (1.78). What’s the secret to applying that aspect ratio to stills, in camera? Of course, you can crop to any aspect ratio you wish in post, but there is value in seeing it applied in the field while working out the composition.

[@michaelmckeag960]

Perhaps updating firmware from 1.10 to 1.20, released last month, will help.

[@Alister_Benn]

Nope, it’s hidden. Put the camera in video mode and that crops to 16:9 - take a photo instead of hitting the record button. The video crop uses the exposure settings in camera shooting mode, not the video exposure setting

[@michaelmckeag960]

@@Alister_Benn Thanks! At first I saw your reply pop up in preview, and did not see the second sentence. You can imagine how mystifying my first experiments were. 🙂

[@petinganacozinha]

love to photograph rainy landscapes! although I try to do it less and less to save the equipment from moist! Those greens are awsome Allister!

[@Alister_Benn]

So true! yeah, my gear gets pretty trashed!

[@brianbeattyphotography]

definitely still possible to get out in the rain, just bring a bag to cover everything!

[@Hirsutechin]

I'm quite sure your beard is older than Adam's - he grows it and shaves it with the seasons/outings... I prefer the 16x9 version (the image, not the beard!), the depth is stronger and that's not easy in such densely planted woodland. :-)

[@Alister_Benn]

LOL< cheers man!! I trimmed my beard at the weekend into a cheeky 2.35:1

[@freetibet1000]

Thank you Alistar for an informative work-through of your thought process! I really like both of the images mainly because those trees are so graphically striking and you have managed to portrait them in an evocative mood here. Personally, I would have been tempted to include the mossy bases of the trees in one or two versions of that scene too. I just love how those green mossy structures seems to grow out of that green mossy ground beneath. One question for you; when you say that you switch over to LAB mode for adjusting contrasts without effecting the colour balance is that producing a different result for you than just do a regular contrast adjustment on a layer set to Luminosity layer blend mode? Greetings from a frozen down Sweden /Thomas www.dalarud.se

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that feedback. LAB can do way more than curves in RGB in luminosity mode. I am making some new videos for our store demonstrating that and history brush and luminosity masks.

[@freetibet1000]

@@Alister_Benn Great to hear Alistar! I’m looking forward to that. Thanks!

[@danielpedersen6895]

Hope you dont think this is old growth? This is a perfect example of a forest plantation.Guess the trees are less then 60 years old. And why do you shoot at iso 2000(or did you add one zero to much)?

[@Alister_Benn]

No, I know this isn’t old growth, I said it to make a joke about Adam!

[@mdc123-v2v]

That's not a Scottish rainforest though. That's a monoculture plantation. Those are spruce. The Scottish Rainforests are characterized by low-lying atlantic oak, birch and scots pine.

[@lzmorais]

The "double thumbs down" is not working. Your KZbin must be broken, it needs to be fixed for the next video. 😂