Closer to Nature

The subject of these images is getting closer to nature. The top 5 are of trees, bark and moss; the bottom 1 is a close-up of a brick wall with vines and roots. I took all of these images outside on sunny days. To take these images I used my Canon Rebel SL1 with a Sigma 50-200 mm lens. I chose to take these images because my independent study is about appreciating the world around us and getting closer, these images of tree bark are powerful because not many people stop to look at individual trees. Each picture has a pattern and texture.

In most of these there is informal balance because of what's on one side of the frame vs what's on the other side. There is grouping of the patterns on the bark, leading lines that draw the viewer's eyes across the image and there is a mix of selective and sharp focus. To edit these I used Photos on my laptop and I adjusted the contrast, exposure, brilliance and saturation. I didn't crop any of them because I took all of them really close to the subject.

I took these images because people always look at trees in groups, not as unique individuals, and this means people miss the beauty of each tree. I found all of the trees on a walk in the woods behind my house, with my dogs. It was a warm and sunny day, but there was still snow on the ground; the bright greens and oranges seemed brighter in contrast with the white all around. These images relate to my life because everyday I walk by trees and I don't notice their individual beauty and on this particular walk I chose to slow down and zoom in on the details. Taking these images helped me notice the uniqueness of all the trees. I love these images, but it bothers me how in a few part of the image is out of focus because the idea of this project was to have sharp focus images where the detail is obvious. I think it would be interesting to see if I could get closer using my smaller lens and the macro attachment and see if this would help keep the whole frame in focus. Next time i'm walking with my camera I'll try it!