How to photograph flora this spring

Keep it local

Make the most of your current location. Flick through local magazines and Google Earth. “Ordnance Survey maps show the best density of evergreen or deciduous trees,” advises Nigel. “Look out for deciduous trees in spring as they carry a vibrant green colour.”

Experiment with your camera settings

Settings will vary depending on your composition, camera, time of day and location. Use the following as a starting-off point.

Camera Mode: Manual for full creative control (or you can try Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority mode).

Focal length: Start at 35mm before trying anything between 24-120mm. Alternatively, experiment with macro shots by using a macro lens or a focal length of 70-200mm.

Aperture: For wide depth of field (with everything in focus), you’ll want f/8 to f/11. If you want to separate flowers from the forest floor, for example, try f/2.8 or f/4.

Shutter speed: If it’s windy, a fast shutter speed (say 1/2000 secs) is required to snap the leaves correctly. If you want to try long exposure, you’ll need a slow shutter speed.

ISO: Start at base ISO (that’s 64 for the Z9, Z8 and Z7II and 100 for Z5II, Zf, Z6III, Z6II, Zfc, Z30, Z50 and Z50II).

White Balance: Auto Natural Light

Read more: So you think you know long exposure? Try our challenges to find out

Watch your White Balance

Changing White Balance can affect the greens in an image significantly. “Always photograph in RAW so you can adjust the White Balance in Adobe Lightroom,” Nigel suggests. “I play with White Balance until I feel it’s natural – edit your art how you like, of course, but I prefer my scene to be quite natural.”

Composition musts

A good composition is all about experimenting. Have a go at these:

• Focus on a dominant tree (such as a silver birch), photograph an isolated element (it may be a leaf or a branch).
• Play with different colours. Find a woodland with a flat floor of bluebells and experiment contrasting the blues with the greens of the trees.
• Use natural lighting. Find a tree with the sun shining from back of the tree – it will offer beautiful shadows and the leaves will pop.

Not all sunshine…

Embrace all types of weather, not just sunshine. “Don’t be put off by foggy conditions,” says Nigel. “Fog adds another layer of tonality and more depth to the image, providing the image with an almost 3D look. Similarly, don’t dismiss rain – rain makes leaves lush! It’s hard to photograph a woodland in the midday sun. Make the most of low sun instead.” Position your camera so the sun is coming into the camera or is just off to the side of your subject: “Photograph towards the easterly edge of the woodlands – you’ll get interrupted sun coming into the woodland.”

Top tip: Invest in a polarising filter. These cut glare and reflections from things in your environment such as glass and water and are especially important if you’re photographing in the rain.

Challenge 1 (Easy): Photograph high and low

“Think about the story of the woodland as it changes through spring. You’ll want to change angle of perception,” Nigel says. “Start low, then snap a fern close up, maybe a rabbit on the floor. Then photograph up towards the canopy – as that changes in spring.”

Challenge 2 (Intermediate): Create complex shadows

“Play with light and shadows. Find a lone tree and photograph the light beams coming through the woodland,” offers Nigel. The key here is to experiment with the low light and mix up your camera settings.

Challenge 3 (Advancing): Step up your post-production

“Your editing needs to reflect the mood of spring,” reminds Nigel. “It’s a happy time, joyous – so make sure your greens are processed correctly. Make sure your whites are white, lift your shadows and ensure the exposures are not too dark. For an advanced edit, try radial filters to brighten up a certain area of the image to accentuate – I like to draw attention to where the sun’s coming from.”

Now, it’s over to you.