Autumn in the UK is always a beautiful time of year. It can be an overwhelming experience thinking about where to go and what to do to make the most of the bright colours, but it doesn't have to be.
In the South West, we are very lucky to have numerous options near Bristol. A short drive from the city takes you to Westonbirt Arboretum, a Forestry England attraction featuring 2,500 different species of trees.
There are some fabulous trails to take and in addition to the autumnal vibes we were seeking, we were especially keen to remind ourselves of North America with the huge array of maple, fir and spruce trees.
It can be a challenge for your videography and photography skills to capture the sheer scale of trees in a forest but here's a few tips:
Scale factor: Having a subject in frame that you can really show the comparable size of trees can really add to the strength of the trees in shot and can help with crops later on.
Think like a bug: It seems ridiculous to take photos at foot level but when it comes to getting a whole trunk and canopy in this can be a fun option to use, best with a wide angle and only use it sparingly as you'll distort the perspective completely.
Don't be shy to try telephoto: I'm guilty of often walking in wide every location I go, but packing a telephoto lens will pay off now and again, from solo portraits to showing perspectives like below.
Work those colours: It's tempting to just focus on the super bright oranges, yellows or reds on their own BUT consider picking trees that contrast with evergreen trees in the background or something similar. This can be great in really magnifying thoughts of change in an image.
Think different: Lastly, it seems obvious but think about different options and ask yourself, what images really show what a location is like in autumn?
Working in Digital Marketing, it's hard to not shoot nowadays without thinking of how an image can be adapted to social media, web or PR use. You'll be thanking yourself that you made a few considerations whilst shooting that help you in the edit.
Westonbirt Arboretum was an absolute delight to photograph and shoot some video at. It was planted and established in the heyday of Victorian arboretums and is a particularly well known attraction for visitors to the Gloucestershire / Bristol / Somerset area. There's so many trails, so much so that we didn't even cover all of it in a day's walking. And better yet, it's worth visiting all year round with all it's tree species from every corner of the globe. If you're interested in visiting them, click here.
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