Not long ago I was out on a quiet walk through the woods. The light was soft, birdsong carried in the distance, and the forest felt alive in that way it often does when you pause to notice it.
I set up my tripod, looked through the viewfinder and immediately felt defeated. Everywhere I turned, the scene was busy: trunks crowding the frame, branches cutting across, patches of bramble spilling into the light.
It felt like the forest was working against me.
If you’ve tried photographing woodland before, you’ve probably felt the same. What looks magical to the eye often turns into clutter through the lens. The challenge isn’t just technical - it’s how to find stillness in the midst of that tangle.
What finally shifted things for me was slowing down. Instead of chasing the perfect composition, I started asking different questions: Where does the eye want to rest? What catches the light? Which distractions can I let go of?
When I approached the forest with that mindset, the chaos softened.
The scene began to reveal its own structure and suddenly I could see images waiting to be made.
In my latest article I share some of the ways I’ve learned to bring order to woodland photography composition: how simplifying the frame helps the subject breathe, how light reveals structure, and how shifting position just a few steps can completely change the story of an image.
These aren’t hard rules, but gentle practices that make the forest feel less overwhelming and more like a collaborator.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
P.S. I’d love to hear... what’s the hardest part of composing in the woods for you? Just hit reply and let me know.
