- Photography
- In the Field
How to Photograph a Tree
Trees are willing subjects but don't be fooled—to create a compelling photograph, you need to take time to get to know them.
Trees are willing subjects—you don't have to worry about catching them in action or getting them in the right mood. They won't get uncomfortable if you spend hours studying them from every angle at all different times of the day. Does that make them easy to photograph? "In my dreams!" laughs photographer Len Jenshel.
Jenshel and his partner Diane Cook have been photographing landscapes together for over 25 years, combining a fine art aesthetic with documentary storytelling. For their most recent collaboration, "Wise Trees," they spent two years documenting trees around the world and how they play a unique and important role in our human history.
Here are their tips on how to get the most out of the trees