Tips for Photographing Conifers

By David Rasch

February 23, 2020

Learn how to achieve the best results in conifer photography using a digital camera and image-editing software.

Summer solstice sunrise on windy ridge with ancient pines

Camera Basics

I use a Nikkor 18-200mm zoom lens on a Nikon D60 camera body with Corel Paint Shop Pro Ultimate Photo X2 software. These days, most digital cameras are capable of producing good quality shots. High resolution and experimentation are keys to producing unique photos.

Be sure to have a fully charged spare battery and enough free space in your memory cards before going out on a vacation or photo session. Also, set your camera to an appropriate resolution such as fine or super fine so that the images are of sufficient quality to enlarge them or to retain better quality after cropping and enlarging smaller portions of an image.

Achieving Special Effects

First, determine the scope of your subject. Do you intend to emphasize a detail of a tree, an entire tree, a tree in the landscape, or a landscape with trees? A zoom lens helps to examine the subject from these perspectives with ease. The viewer’s imagination will fill in what is just beyond the picture frame. For example, the effect of cutting off branch tips can exaggerate a windswept characteristic.

The image format, vertical or horizontal, has a lot of impact on your subject. Horizontal formats tend to have a relaxed sense, conveying calmness; while vertical formats tend to have a vigorous sense, conveying motion. Determine if your subject has a vertical or horizontal orientation and how that works with your chosen image format. You can alter and change the image format later using a crop function in image-editing software and still retain a good shot if you started with a high-resolution setting on your camera.

Next, study your subject from various angles and locations around the tree, including kneeling on the ground instead of standing. Take notice of interesting forms, colors, and shadows as you move. Background images can be distracting or enhancing to the subject. Watch how objects in the distance change locations on the picture plane.

Timberline pines at Patriarch Grove

The Role of Lighting in Conifer Photography

Lighting is critical to the subject. Time of day is a factor; to take advantage of it requires more patience. You may want to visit the subject at various times throughout the day to note the subject’s lighting conditions. If your subject looks best from its west side, then morning hours will have the dark subject backlit, while afternoon hours will directly illuminate the subject.

Sunrise, early morning, late afternoon, and sunset provide more dramatic lighting with long shadows and warmer colors. Bright sunlight around noon makes the smallest shadows. Overcast skies often bring out colors that may appear bleached in full sunlight.

Weather and time of season are even longer-range effects that can be used. Photographing conifers when deciduous trees are dormant or in fall color can help isolate or highlight an evergreen on a background of gray, yellow, or orange and red, since they can be lost when placed in front of leafy green trees.

A snow-covered ground can be compared to a grass or vegetation-covered ground. Broken clouds in the sky can add an interesting element to the composition, which is lacking with a solid bright blue sky. But, a solid sky can be successful when used to silhouette a subject without background distraction. Sometimes you will be lucky enough to be shooting while clouds are moving quickly, making a subject temporarily highlighted against a shadowed background.

Ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) at Gila National Forest, NM

Final Touches for a Conifer Photograph

A complete examination of the subject should include several shots from several viewpoints. In this way, you are composing a two-dimensional image using a few parts of the three-dimensional world. Instant preview is a benefit of digital cameras that allows you to examine the composition while on-site.

Finally, once you’ve chosen and shot a few frames of the best compositions, fine-tune the images with editing software. Use the crop tool to emphasize the subject. Experiment with color correction, depth of focus, and sharpening tools.

Remove distracting parts, like a nearby tree branch extending from out of the image frame in toward the subject, with a paintbrush tool. Software manipulation of digital images can provide limitless variations, so have fun editing your digital photographs of conifers.

Ancient foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) on Alta Peak above Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park

If you wish to submit photos for publication in the Conifer Quarterly, remember that images must be at least 300 dots-per-inch in size, so you should start with a fine or super-fine resolution on your camera.

The original images should be mailed or e-mailed in this size to the editor. For non-print applications, such as Web site posting or general e-mail transmission, smaller images that are less than 5MB are preferred. In these cases, your larger images can be saved in PDF format, which compacts them into much smaller files.

Photographs by David Rasch.

David Rasch has planted more than 100 conifers in his garden in New Mexico. He travels throughout the West seeking large, rare, and individually beautiful conifers; he also collects photographs, prints, and paintings of Western conifers.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of Conifer Quarterly.

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Conifers on The Miracle Mile

By Leah Alcyon

August 24, 2019

Get to know the recordbreaking conifers of Northern California's Miracle Mile.

Leah Alcyon looking at conifers with binoculars at the parking lot of Devil's Punchbowl in the Siskiyou Wilderness Area, California

 

Exploring Californian Conifers

 

California is home to 52 native, conifer species. Some are record-breaking, conifer superlatives. It is a big state, which covers 10 degrees of latitude, with ecosystems from coastal regions to high mountains. The state boasts spectacular specimens: Pinus lambertiana (sugar pine), Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock), Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce), Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson cypress), and Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood). California is home to the most massive tree on earth, Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequoia), and the longest-lived tree, Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine). In the northern area of the state, called the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion, there are 36 conifer species. The complex terrain (geology, climate, and biogeographic history) has created great, temperate biodiversity. Yet, the relative remoteness of this area keeps it from being well known. This is where you will find the 'Miracle Mile'.

Several years ago, I found myself in the midst of conifer hysteria. Thanks, Mom! I focused on conifer cultivars, each with a variation on a theme. I chose to start with conifers in nature, in order to learn basic identification. I purchased Conifer Country by Michael Kauffmann, which has identification information and suggests hikes in Northern California, where this great, conifer diversity exists. As conifer mania had become a family passion, my plan was to hike my way to conifer knowledge and, then, into the American Conifer Society. That, at least, was the plan.

Dave Alcyon hiking past majestic conifers into Devil's Punchbowl, North California

 

Revisiting Devil's Punchbowl

 

My first trip was to Devil’s Punchbowl, where Cupressus nootkatensis (Nootka cypress, Alaskan cedar) is found. Alaskan cedar had survived there in ice-free pockets during the last Ice Age. I had been there before, while working for the Youth Conservation Corps in 1980, but that trip was recreational and did not include topics, such as plant identification and natural history. I found that information in another highly recommended book, The Klamath Knot, by David Rains Wallace. This more recent trip started with a confusing map of forest service roads and unmarked turns. The parking lot was bordered by the unmistakable Picea breweriana (Brewer spruce).

Brewer spruce is a beginner-friendly conifer, which can be enjoyed and identified with minimal skill, even at a distance, due to its distinct, weeping branches. There is nothing more uplifting and motivating than immediate gratification. The climb up to the lake is not as difficult as the metrics make it seem (a 1,000-foot vertical in 1.5 miles, 8.9 miles with a 2,378-foot, total vertical). There are plenty of trees and stunning views to capture the attention of the visitor.

The hike ends at a beautiful lake, bordered by steep walls of a glacial cirque. The map indicated that there were only a few Cupressus nootkatensis (Alaskan cedar) in number. They were in an area at the approach to the lake. The presence of the glacial cirque means that there was ice erosion in ages past. Therefore, it was a mystery that Alaskan cedar was here! I remember spending the day taking a photo of every cedar in the area. In review, the dozens of photos appeared to reveal real Calodedrus decurrens (incense cedar), without an Alaskan cedar in sight.

Leah Alcyon looking for Alaskan cedar at Devil's Punchbowl in Northern California

 

A Confusing Conifer Moniker

 

The common name “Alaskan cedar” poses some problems in itself. Callitropsis appears many times instead of Cupressus. I decided to use Cupressus. The name of the species, nootkatensis, comes from the discovery of the tree on the lands of the Nuu-chah-nulth of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, who are one of the First Nations of Canada, and who are also known as the Nootka, hence the other common name, Nootka cypress. The physical characteristics of the trees can vary. In the alpine environment, trees growing out of rocks can be stunted, thus making the comparisons between coastal and alpine trees difficult. The age of the tree can also change its identifying characteristics. All of this can either seem like esoteric nonsense, or the delightful start to an ACS social icebreaker.

Not to be deterred, several other hikes in conifer country were tried over the years, but none as inspiring to the imagination as The Miracle Mile. Who does not love the consonance, which alludes to some grand promenade? The Miracle Mile moniker originated in the 1970’s with two professors from Humboldt State University, John Sawyer and Dale Thornburgh, Botany and Silviculture, and Ecosystems Management, respectively. They described the area which contains an amazing diversity of conifers. Up to now, 18 species have been identified.

A list of conifers to look out for on the North California trail

 

Going on the Miracle Mile

 

In October 2016, we backpacked up to Little Duck Lake and prepared to tick off the 17 conifer species, which had been originally identified. We had scheduled three days to figure it out. This was not my first trip. In 2013, my conifer- obsessed mom and I had done the hike in a day.

The first obstacle is the physical challenge of getting to the Miracle Mile. The climb up to Little Duck Lake is 9 miles round trip with a 2,000- feet elevation gain. The ridge behind the lake is another 800 feet of rock scrambling. The trail starts on former logging roads, which existed before the wilderness designation in 1984. None of the trail is as steep as the short climb to Devil’s Punchbowl. After the daylong hike, I knew that, in order to see all 17 conifer species, I would have to hike to the top of the ridge, or use a Celestron telescope, to identify the foxtail pine (Pinus alfouriana) and the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis).

At first, I was intimidated by the thought of trying to identify all of the trees, but you might note that the Alaskan cedar is missing from the lineup. Of the remaining trees, most can be identified without too much difficulty, provided that the observer has a basic guide available for identification. It helps that the pines have characteristics which are fairly straightforward. They represent 7 of the 17 on the list at the end of this article. The problem in locating the species is solved by consulting Conifer Country, even when there are just a few individual trees. None of the Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine), which we encountered, had cones that year. Unfortunately, that became a missing clue. However, I could readily identify Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar). Engelmann's spruce (Picea engelmannii) posed the toughest challenge to identification.

Leah Alcyon in the cirque above Little Duck Lake in the Russian Wilderness, Northern California

 

Car-Conifering: A Fun Adventure

 

I always associated the Miracle Mile with a 2-dimensional path and not a space of a square mile. Hence, I contacted Michael Kauffmann for a clarification of the boundaries of this square mile. He told me that it was not exact, but that the general placement is included in the most recent edition of his book. The observer can see Abies lasiocarpa (subalpine fir) from the trail at the lake with binoculars. This was the species, which caused Sawyer and Thornburg (mentioned above) great surprise and debate. We did not locate Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper), which has been added to the list.

However, we did hike the valley south, in order to explore the backside of the ridge and to scan with binoculars. For those conifer connoisseurs who are less inclined to go hiking, the diversity of trees is available on roads throughout the area. After it was all over, I think my most memorable achievement was car-conifering. If you can drive on a windy road at even 40 miles per hour and still point out a number of species, it will be a lot of fun! The next level past that is pointing out brooms. Now, we are talking ACS language!

Photographs by Leah and Dave Alcyon.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2019 issue of Conifer Quarterly.

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Conifer Pruning Styles

 

By Leah Alcyon

 

September 13, 2019

Learn about the highly-distinctive pruning style of the Humboldt-Huggers for conifers.

The Greek Column Cut conifer pruning style pays homage to the Parthenon in Athens

 

Coneheads love to use aesthetic pruning techniques to showcase their conifers to maximum effect and beauty. Certified aesthetic pruners may be employed to visit a garden and bring out the best in any woody plant that is not up to snuff. The ACS works closely with the Aesthetic Pruners Association, and, for those of you who are not familiar with this wonderful approach to conifer maintenance and enhancement, we encourage you to attend future ACS National Meetings with demonstrations by highly skilled professionals.

As with any art form, aesthetic pruning has a range of styles, and these styles run the gamut from delighting the masses to tickling merely the fancy of a few. I have recently relocated to my childhood home of Humboldt County, California, where the locals practice their own, highly distinctive interpretation of aesthetic pruning that I call Humboldt-Huggers, or HH.

HH is so named due to the narrow geographic range of the art: Humboldt County, CA. Even more specifically, the HH aesthetic is centered in the city of Arcata, the epicenter of tree-hugging in America. HH is only practiced on the Sequoia sempervirens, or coast redwood tree, large, native stands of which are found in abundance in this area.

Pinus monticola ‘Crawford’ conifer at the home of Sara Malone. Aesthetic pruning done the right way by Maryann Lewis, a certifed aesthetic pruner

 

Tree Pruning Logic

 

One might wonder why a redwood tree would need to be pruned at all. These trees are hearty pillars of nature’s engineering and, together, create magical forests. The second growth in the Arcata Community Forest, last logged extensively in the 1950s, is filled with robust trees towering 80+ feet. The redwood tree’s raison d’etre is to be the tallest it can be, to send roots horizontally as far as possible (preferably into water and sewer systems) and to sprout copiously from its stump.

People, who struggle to observe nature closely, miss the 15-foot diameter stumps, which dot the forest floor. Gazing upwards, observers are also astounded by the ascending new trunks as they disappear into the fog. The fog is one of the marvels of this area; impenetrable, persistent, and depressing, yet vital to the natural ecology of the redwood.

Most people love the redwood forests, but the trees become a problem for those who decide to build houses in the forest and then wonder why their gardens don’t grow. Herein lies the birth of the HH-aesthetic; the need to resolve the conflict between loving redwoods and wanting to have sun. Follow the descriptions below to see the pruning styles that are used to marry these seemingly opposing desires.

On the left: a recently pruned conifer; on the right: a bushy shrub, one year after pruning

 

The Klub Kut

 

Another name for this style is the Titus Andronicus cut: essentially the gruesome and brutal removal of everything that makes a tree a tree, until the tragedy ends because you are sick to your stomach. (Refer to Shakespeare’s play of the same name if you want more gory detail.) Mission accomplished, and, like Shakespeare, it’s art! But this cut is just as perfectly named Klub Kut. It makes no sense when the perpetrators are treehuggers, but as one Klub Member stated: “I love redwoods, and this Kut looks so Kute!”

What is left behind grows into a delightful pipe cleaner with a fluffy top, according to the aficionados of this cut. Personally, I would rather see the tree removed completely, as Demetrius and Chiron removed Lavinia’s body parts, but, apparently, I am in the minority. Let us continue.

Above on the left is a recently butchered tree, topped and stripped of all the branches. On the right is the tree a year after pruning, with the lateral sprouts turning the pole into a tight, a bushy shrub.

The Cat O’ Nine Cut conifer pruning style

 

The Cat O’Nine Cut

 

Redwoods have a base that can support several trunks. When there are more than three trunks in a group which are cut to the same height, this is The Cat O’ Nine Cut. The lower branches can be removed, or they can be left behind, depending on the budget of the homeowner. Perhaps the branches are weapons that supply the neighborhood arsenal?

The Greek Column Cut

 

Those landowners. whose community restrictions prohibit the removal or dismemberment of redwoods, can always select The Greek Column Cut. This cut simply strips all lower branches of the tree up as high as the pruner is brave enough to climb, or, as his pole saw will reach. The cut’s name nods to the grandiose trunks left behind that remind us of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, and other classical buildings. Or, maybe, they just remind us that they live in a dark forest.

I have learned a lot about aesthetic pruning from watching demos, talking with pruners, and reviewing before- and after-photos. I think, though, that I already know as much as I want to know about the HH-aesthetic. What it makes me want to do is what good tree-huggers do: go out and hug those poor mutilated trees!

Photographs by Leah Alcyon.

Leah Alcyon is a retired industrial hygienist, recently moved back to Humboldt County, California, land of the redwoods. She enjoys conifers with her mother, Carol, and will plant one Sequoia sempervirens ‘Loma Prieta Spike’.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of Conifer Quarterly.

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