Forest Photos & Settings

[Artful Dodger]

Hello,
I will be taking a lot of photos that will be in the forest with very few areas that are open to direct sunlight (see photo below for an example) unless a tree has fallen down or its just a small opening by a path. With that said I was wondering how many folks here venture out in the woods on a regular basis to take photos? Because of the height and density of the trees (see photo again) what settings would you recommend as is the time of day for such photos in those conditions? Also should I use any speed lights or is that over kill until it seems dark to the eye?
The Last part concerns a few lens choices as I'm waiting to order (it seems to be sold out everywhere) this lens: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X vs the more expensive Nikon 12-24mm f/4 AF-S DX. I'm a little concerned or maybe I really shouldn't be with the issue concerning a weather seal on my Nikon D50 which will be upgraded to the D300 hopefully by spring of 2009.
I also have been using the remote which once everything is set works really nice for most of my needs
Any pics from others are very welcome as is a guide line for settings that I'm totally ignorant about other than just taking a couple hundred pics, a can of off spray and more than a few days in the forest/woods

Settings for photo were:

Shutter: 1/100
Aperture: 5.0
Focal Length:
Flash: Off
ISO: 400

 

[Doylem]

I shoot in woodland quite a lot; woods and waterfalls are two subjects that can work when the light is dull. Not too sure why you're concerned about exposure... Set camera on tripod, compose, take sample shot... and adjust the aperture/shutter speed accordingly. In a dark wood, with optimal aperture of, say, f11, you may need shutter speeds of a few seconds...

Dull weather allows the trees to create their own patterns: ie not getting mixed up with patches of sunshine & shadow. Conversely, strong rays of light can create interesting patterns too... especially if combined with mist or smoke. Go for wide shots and close-ups. Good luck...

PS: the zen approach is to photograph the patterns between the trees and branches...

 

[compuwar]

Hello,
I will be taking a lot of photos that will be in the forest with very few areas

There are pictures in the forest, and there are pictures of the forest- different things entireley. In general, when I'm in the field, it's in the woods to take nature shots.

that are open to direct sunlight (see photo below for an example) unless a tree has fallen down or its just a small opening by a path. With that said I was wondering how many folks here venture out in the woods on a regular basis to take photos? Because of the height and density of the trees (see photo again) what settings would you recommend as is the time of day for such photos in those conditions? Also should I use any speed lights or is that over kill until it seems dark to the eye?

Fill flash depends so much on the subject that there's no way to make a "rule." If you're not taking pictures of moving subjects though, off a tripod shooting multiple exposures with different shutter speeds are the way to go no matter where you're shooting high contrast scenes.

The Last part concerns a few lens choices as I'm waiting to order (it seems to be sold out everywhere) this lens: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X vs the more expensive Nikon 12-24mm f/4 AF-S DX. I'm a little concerned or

2.8 is half as much light as f/4 at the same shutter speed and ISO. It's a no brainer for low light.

maybe I really shouldn't be with the issue concerning a weather seal on my Nikon D50 which will be upgraded to the D300 hopefully by spring of 2009.

If you're concerned, buy it a rain coat, they're cheap and effective. I use the Photosharp covers, which give you a try-before-you-send-money alternative.

a can of off spray and more than a few days in the forest/woods

DEET-based bug sprays will eat camera bodies, be very careful with bug sprays around your camera body, lenses and media cards.

 

[Artful Dodger]

There are pictures in the forest, and there are pictures of the forest- different things entireley. In general, when I'm in the field, it's in the woods to take nature shots.

DEET-based bug sprays will eat camera bodies, be very careful with bug sprays around your camera body, lenses and media cards.

Very true for the first C&C and also for the spray. I wouldn't have even thought about some contamination issues (getting it to rub off from my fingers and whatnot on everything I come in contact with aside from pests) even though I wouldn't spray near my gear anyway but it's really good to know that, thank you

 

[compuwar]

Very true for the first C&C and also for the spray. I wouldn't have even thought about some contamination issues (getting it to rub off from my fingers and whatnot on everything I come in contact with aside from pests) even though I wouldn't spray near my gear anyway but it's really good to know that, thank you

There are one or two organic non-DEET sprays that just mean adding more in an hour or two that are not as bad with the polymers in plastics. Look for ones that have actual tests, and then you'll have nothing to worry about in that vein.