p.1 #1 · Coast Redwoods. The world's widest & tallest tree species.
Here's some photos from the coast redwood forest, taken over the past 12 years or so, as I struggled to learn photography. Even tried an LED panel for fill light - won't do that again!. I started with Canon T2i and 60D - thankful I could move past those bodies. Eventually, the EOS R, 5DSR and R5. I ditched UWA and shoot mainly between 24mm and 135mm, single and composite.
The coast redwood species Sequoia sempervirens is both widest for diameter and tallest for height in the world. The native range in SW coastal Oregon and coastal Northern California. The parks with the biggest and tallest are by Eureka and Crescent City, CA in Redwood National and State Parks and Humbold Redwoods State Park. Yearly rainfall exceeding 100 inches in some of the parks. For first time travelers, my page below should provide a thorough overview.
www.mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IITokina AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX lens16mmf/2.81/80s640 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS 5DSTAMRON SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD F012 lens35mmf/4.51/6s400 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS RRF50mm F1.2 L USM lens50mmf/1.21/200s2000 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS RRF50mm F1.2 L USM lens50mmf/2.21/200s640 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS 5DS24-70mm lens33mmf/11.01/13s400 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS RRF50mm F1.2 L USM lens50mmf/3.51/60s640 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS 5DS RTAMRON SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 A032 lens40mmf/3.21/25s640 ISO0.0 EV
p.1 #4 · Coast Redwoods. The world's widest & tallest tree species.
KDFocus wrote:
Incredible shots! Including people in these shots really help to get a perspective on those massive trees.
Like the redwood above with the woman wearing yellow. The burl is about 40,000 lbs.. But if nobody is near that tree which is set back from the trail, the size of the burl or trunk remain unrealized.
On Facebook in big tree groups, a few people sometimes complain about humans in redwood photos, but the shots with most interaction are ones with people for scale. I photograph both ways, since the ones without people are preferred for framed prints or canvas.
p.1 #5 · Coast Redwoods. The world's widest & tallest tree species.
I like them all, but the family shot with the kids is the winner. The posing seems natural. Putting people in the images to get a scale of the immensity of these trees is key. Nice work. I'd say your struggles paid off.
p.1 #8 · Coast Redwoods. The world's widest & tallest tree species.
dugaut wrote:
I like them all, but the family shot with the kids is the winner. The posing seems natural. Putting people in the images to get a scale of the immensity of these trees is key. Nice work. I'd say your struggles paid off.
The family photo was fun and a learning experience.
There was a Christian youth organization fund raising dinner with auction that's held yearly. The year of that photo, I donated a family portrait session + one canvas for one of the photos, up to 30 inches. I heard the family was headed to the redwoods the same day I was planning to head down for my own photography and they agreed to that location. Auctioning a photo session becomes open-ended with no specific date for weeks. So in the future my wife and I donate either money or an item. Last year one of my extra guitars.
I will continue redwood weddings and portraits because those are put on the calendar for a specific known day.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IIIEF85mm f/1.2L II USM lens85mmf/1.61/200s400 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS 5D Mark IIIEF85mm f/1.2L II USM lens85mmf/1.21/200s200 ISO0.0 EV
Canon EOS RRF50mm F1.2 L USM lens50mmf/2.01/200s400 ISO0.0 EV
p.1 #11 · Coast Redwoods. The world's widest & tallest tree species.
dugaut wrote:
Looking at these photos again I also like the light. I think the immense trees are providing a canopy that acts like an equally large softbox.
That's one reason I quit hanging at a gallery down there. Related to light. Their swap day was the last day of every other month and they were not agreeable to me re-hanging the same art even though I live 100 miles out of town. So a few times I drove down to replace art on that day and it was sunny. And sun is pretty bad for redwood photos. The overcast and lightly rainy days are the best for redwood photography or even redwood portraits.
I found a restaurant where my prints sell better and they won't take a commission even if I insist. And the prints can remain until each piece sells.
But it's much like you wrote - like a giant softbox.
