You might know my name from my other popular photo series from the Netherlands with the last one being about the Purple Heather in my country. Check them out at Bored Panda. With my photo series I am trying to show the non-standard beauty of my country. Like I always say: The Netherlands is famous for the beautiful canals in Amsterdam, the tulips and of course the windmills. The Netherlands also has some beautiful forests that you can get lost in for hours.
Forests are something different than normal landscapes. Especially for photographers, forests offer tons of different compositions even in a very small area because of the different lining and shapes of the trees. Also, they always look different with different light. These last few days have been very misty in my country. All the people around me are complaining about it being ‘grey’ and depressing. I always tell them: ‘Take a stroll around your local forest, you’ll be amazed by the beautiful atmosphere.’ Because that’s where forests become magical: when there is fog separating the trees from each other it’s like walking in a fairytale. But in any condition, forests always offer a great sense of peace and are relaxing to walk around in.
Of course forests look very different from season to season but there is almost always something beautiful to see. In summer the forests are nice and green. My favourite time is autumn when the trees start to get all kinds of colour. But I love winter too. When the leaves fell of the trees, all that’s left is the distinct shapes of the tree branches, often creating magical or spooky atmospheres. I am a photographer and I can find beauty in the forest always, during any season and during any time of day. It doesn’t matter how the light is. But sometimes, I’d like to forget about photographing and just enjoy the beautiful silence the forests offer. I can recommend it to everyone that has forests, small or big, around them. Take some time to walk around for an hour or 2. It’s extremely relaxing and a great stress reliever too!
These photos were all taken in the Netherlands.
More info: albertdros.com
#1 Zig Zag
Curvy roads between trees can create an amazing effect when using long lenses to photograph them. This is a ‘famous’ photo that raises many questions, mainly about the light in the background. This light is actually from a combination of 2 cards, 1 from headlights and one from tail lights. It’s not a fire and it’s no sunlight.
65points
#2 The Last Colour
The end of Autumn when the last leaves are on the trees is a great time to check out the forest as you can spot many details on the last leaves on the farm trees.
56points
#3 Shrooms
Early morning in the beginning of Autumn with the early morning light blasting through the trees. The shrooms are a nice detail during this time of year. You can find them everywhere if you look for them.
54points
#4 Dwarf Lane
Paths and roads that go into the distance look amazing with the right conditions. If you want to take photos like this, make sure to use a long lens (100mm+). This makes everything in the distance looks compressed.
52points
#5 The Overlord
When forests are in the fog during daytime you can take some beautiful shots, especially during Autumn!
52points
#6 Seasons Change
The change into Autumn gives the trees all kinds of colours making it my favourite season to photograph the forests.
50points
#7 The Elder
When it’s grey and foggy outside, try taking a stroll through the forest. The mist separates the trees creating a beautiful spooky atmosphere.
47points
#8 The Last Leaves
A road near my house changes every few days when the end of Autumn approaches. In the foreground trees there are still some red leaves that get hit by the sunlight every morning. The rest of the lane is nearly empty already.
44points
#9 Curvy Path
Even during very grey and rainy weather the forests still have a very interesting atmosphere: dark and moody.
39points
#10 Standing Strong
Even in summer when the forests are completely green everything still has a great atmosphere. I am always amazed at some distinctive shapes of trees I find.
36points
#11 Morning Magic
The early morning soft light finds its way through the trees creating that magical atmosphere in the forest.
20points
#12 The Golden Path
Combine late Autumn with a hazy sunny morning and you get very soft golden light making everything look gold as orange of the leaves get lit.
19points
#13 Roots
Roots of trees can be fascinating as they’re often not buried in the ground completely.
19points
#14 Lined Up
Some forests are planted. This doesn’t have to be ‘bad’ as they always look very interesting because all of the trees are lined up.
16points
#15 Ray Explosion
The best time for seeing and photographing sunrays are the early hazy cloudless sunny mornings. This combination makes it ideal for seeing them. In forests, mostly in dark parts the filtered light finds it’s way through the openings of the branches and leaves, making focused sunrays that look magical.
16points
#16 Light Play
An early Autumn morning where the sunlight finds its way through the leaves giving a nice contrast between the lights and shadows.
14points
#17 Red And Green
The details of leaves on the trees are beautiful especially when there is great separation with the right light.
12points
#18 Forest Family
Fog separating the trees at the beginning of winter makes you see all of the shapes of the trees.
12points
#19 Autumn Explosion
An explosion of light rays on a beautiful early Autumn morning in the forests of the Netherlands.
12points
#20 Golem Road
This is the end of Autumn and beginning of winter. The trees lose all of their leaves and you can view all kinds of crazy shapes when walking through the forest. Paths can really create a leading line when shooting photos.
11points