Tree Bark

Scottelly · Mar 16, 2017

I was inspired by some photos another member posted today. I decided to go out and photograph the trunks of trees, but not the whole trunk - just the bark. It's amazing how different bark can look from one tree to another. I figure I can make a whole collection of photos like this without leaving my neighborhood. Surely, over time, I can create a collection of dozens of such photos, and I'm sure I can create other "texture" galleries too, such as wood, stone, brick, water, sand, etc.

Coconut tree bark

Ponytail palm bark

Foxtail palm bark

Those are all palm trees, but I shot some photos of other tree bark too. Anyone got ane more interesting bark photos? Feel free to post it/them.

--
Scott Barton Kennelly
http://www.bigprintphotos.com

jtr27 · Mar 17, 2017

Nice shots! Like the third one the best. Pleasing color, and the rings add visual interest.

I expect there are "tree aficionados" who can identify a tree based on the bark alone. I'm certainly not one of them.

Thanks for sharing,

Jonathan

xpatUSA · Mar 17, 2017

Scottelly said:
Anyone got ane more interesting bark photos? Feel free to post it/them.

Eastern Red Cedar bole with burls. Saw Palmetto in the background.

Night shot with SD14 dust cover removed. Two EF-500 flashes triggered by the SD14 pop-up flash.

--
"What we've got hyah is Failyah to Communicate": 'Cool Hand Luke' 1967.

Scottelly · Mar 17, 2017

Wow! That's a crazy looking thing Ted. It looks like it's coming apart!

The more of your IR or full spectrum photos I see, the more I find them interesting. I haven't tried it yet, but when I clean my sensor, I'm not going to put the filter back in for at least a day or two. I'll go try full spectrum photography, and I'll try the IR 680 filter too. Even when I do put the filter back, it won't be the one that came out, because I have that filter from my old, broken SD14. I'll take a look at how my photos look with THAT filter in the SD1 Merrill. Thanks for posting this image Ted.

Scottelly · Mar 17, 2017

jtr27 said:
Nice shots! Like the third one the best. Pleasing color, and the rings add visual interest.

I expect there are "tree aficionados" who can identify a tree based on the bark alone. I'm certainly not one of them.

Thanks for sharing,

Jonathan

Feel free to post some tree bark photos of your own Jonathan. I limited mine to palm tree bark, but I might add some others over the weekend. I'm thinking about going to Gumbolimbo Nature Center tomorrow and shooting some gumbolimbo tree bark. At the same time I'll probably shoot some mangrove tree bark and some seagrape tree bark. I bet you don't get any of those trees where you live, huh?

BTW, based on the photos in your Flickr gallery, may I suggest you try a DP3 Merrill? I think you might fall in love with it.

--
Scott Barton Kennelly
http://www.bigprintphotos.com

jtr27 · Mar 17, 2017

Ha ha, yes, I could use a week or two where there are palm trees! It has been a long winter. I enjoy the snow but... too much of a good thing at this point. We got another couple of feet of new snow in Maine this week. =P

I don't have any tree bark shots at the moment, but will have to take some when I get a chance.

I gave serious consideration to a dp3 Merrill. Ultimately it came down to cost and versatility. dp3ms are running $500-$600 used; I got the sdq "refurbished," low shutter count, with 30mm F1.4 for $749. Right or wrong, that seemed like the better deal to me.

But the dp Merrill fixed lens cameras have always been of great interest to me (I have very much enjoyed Sigma's excellent 19, 30 and 60mm E mount primes on my Sony cameras) and I would never rule out the possibility of acquiring one in the future.

Thanks,

Jonathan

xpatUSA · Mar 17, 2017

Scottelly said:
Wow! That's a crazy looking thing Ted. It looks like it's coming apart!

The more of your IR or full spectrum photos I see, the more I find them interesting. I haven't tried it yet, but when I clean my sensor, I'm not going to put the filter back in for at least a day or two. I'll go try full spectrum photography, and I'll try the IR 680 filter too.

Should be fun. Would recommend low res mode 'til you get good at focusing and stuff.

Scottelly said:
Even when I do put the filter back, it won't be the one that came out, because I have that filter from my old, broken SD14. I'll take a look at how my photos look with THAT filter in the SD1 Merrill.

Let us know how that works out for you - watch out for the SD14 "green cast" . . just kidding. ;-)

Zone8 · Mar 17, 2017

Scottelly said:
Scottelly wrote:

I was inspired by some photos another member posted today. I decided to go out and photograph the trunks of trees, but not the whole trunk - just the bark.

A case of your bark is ....

Doggonnit! Woof Woof! Barking good topic to shoot.

Sugasmune · Mar 17, 2017

The Sigma Merrill and Quattro seem like perfect tool for CGI textures, which mostly have been lacking for sharpness and resolution.

PanoMax · Mar 17, 2017

Thanks for posting this, Scott.

You have the eye... and the camera

db

xpatUSA · Mar 18, 2017

looks better original size

DP2s hand-held, SPP 3.5.2 > Raw Therapee proc > FSV crop.

--
"What we've got hyah is Failyah to Communicate": 'Cool Hand Luke' 1967.

DavidMillier · Mar 18, 2017

Scottelly said:
I was inspired by some photos another member posted today. I decided to go out and photograph the trunks of trees, but not the whole trunk - just the bark. It's amazing how different bark can look from one tree to another. I figure I can make a whole collection of photos like this without leaving my neighborhood. Surely, over time, I can create a collection of dozens of such photos, and I'm sure I can create other "texture" galleries too, such as wood, stone, brick, water, sand, etc.

Coconut tree bark

Ponytail palm bark

Foxtail palm bark

Those are all palm trees, but I shot some photos of other tree bark too. Anyone got ane more interesting bark photos? Feel free to post it/them.

--
Scott Barton Kennelly
http://www.bigprintphotos.com

Tree bark is always tempting but rarely yields much of a composition, unfortunately. An exception made for the 3rd photo where the regularity plus the complementary rings do create a composition. The lighting is good on this, too.

--
Galleries and website: http://www.whisperingcat.co.uk/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmillier/

PanoMax · Mar 18, 2017

DavidMillier said:
Tree bark is always tempting but rarely yields much of a composition, unfortunately. An exception made for the 3rd photo where the regularity plus the complementary rings do create a composition. The lighting is good on this, too.

--

Rarely?

I take exception to that. Perhaps the trees in your region are all the same, without distinctive patterns, coloration, texture, etc.

Trees, unlike inanimate subjects like rock, sand, always present a living, growing, vibrant subject.

There can be a given tree that appears different in terms of lighting, seasonal variations, growth, species, whether it's wet or dry...the list goes on.

We in western Canada are blessed with many species, old, very young, large, small, some remote. You just have to get out there and find them.

Translucent bark flake on the Pine of Antiquity

Dead poplar tree

Poplar tree, lichens

Birches

Aspen blisters

The Bleeding Aspen

Ancient Douglas Fir

This tree is now completely dead as of the spring of 2016

Scottelly · Mar 18, 2017

Nice one Ted. I'm surprised it all looks so in-focus. You must have used f11 or f16 on this one, huh?

Scottelly · Mar 18, 2017

Thanks David. Believe it or not, it was just afternoon sunlight.

Scottelly · Mar 18, 2017

Poor Douglas Fir. Nice photos!

I like your Aspen blisters photo best out of the photos you posted above. Thanks for posting them all.

Scottelly · Mar 18, 2017

PanoMax said:
Thanks for posting this, Scott.

You have the eye... and the camera

db

Thanks for the compliment Dave, and as you probably know, I only recently did get "the camera." I'm trying to put it to good use. I should schedule a model or two, huh?

xpatUSA · Mar 18, 2017

Scottelly said:
Nice one Ted.

Thank 'ee!

Scottelly said:
I'm surprised it all looks so in-focus.

We aim to please - "we" being myself and RawTherapee.

Scottelly said:
You must have used f11 or f16 on this one, huh?

Final save from FSV stripped the EXIF - it does that sometimes.

Was f/5.6 at 1/30 sec, -0.3 EC aperture priority. I usually use that on the DP2s sometimes manual focus, mostly auto.

Shot in Auto WB but quickly changed to Overcast in SPP. Auto hardly ever gets it right on the property - too much green around.

DavidMillier · Mar 18, 2017

PanoMax said:
PanoMax said:

Tree bark is always tempting but rarely yields much of a composition, unfortunately. An exception made for the 3rd photo where the regularity plus the complementary rings do create a composition. The lighting is good on this, too.

--

Click to expand...

Rarely?

I take exception to that. Perhaps the trees in your region are all the same, without distinctive patterns, coloration, texture, etc.

Trees, unlike inanimate subjects like rock, sand, always present a living, growing, vibrant subject.

There can be a given tree that appears different in terms of lighting, seasonal variations, growth, species, whether it's wet or dry...the list goes on.

We in western Canada are blessed with many species, old, very young, large, small, some remote. You just have to get out there and find them.

Translucent bark flake on the Pine of Antiquity

Dead poplar tree

Poplar tree, lichens

Birches

Aspen blisters

The Bleeding Aspen

Ancient Douglas Fir

This tree is now completely dead as of the spring of 2016

There's a difference between a picture with some tree bark in it and lots of near identical close up shots of tree bark. You probably wouldn't want to look at 300 near identical close ups of tree bark where the only difference is the particular pattern. Your examples above cover a wide range.

Twenty shots like the first two would be a yawn. The third shot does show how it can be used, however. Good pic.

--
Galleries and website: http://www.whisperingcat.co.uk/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmillier/

DavidMillier · Mar 18, 2017

Scottelly said:
Thanks David. Believe it or not, it was just afternoon sunlight.

Tree Bark

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Veteran Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Senior Member

Leading Member

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Leading Member

Attachments

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Forum Pro

Similar threads

Keyboard shortcuts