Birch Trees at The Boston Arnold Arboretum

There is a family of birch trees that stand out on Bussey Hill at the Boston Arnold Arboretum. The trees are almost iconic to me since I tried so many times to capture their uniqueness and beauty but never produced an image that satisfied my quest. In my attempts I composed from the far front, from left and from right. Whatever I tried I was not able to eliminate distracting backgrounds. Sometimes however persistence pays of as it did on a foggy early morning I when I went out once again to capture the natural world's beauty. When I made my way past the enigmatic birch trees this time, it suddenly occurred to me that the only way to capture them would be in a close up. I remember the excitement when I made my way up the hill, a short distance from the Bussey Hill Road. I unfolded my tripod and secured the camera on it. I zoomed in on the tree trunk to get in close. I laid the focus point on the white and green tree trunk in front of me and kept the other birch trees fading away in the background. The limited depth of field at an aperture of f/7.1 combined with the telephoto lens setting provided the desired result. The fog added a certain mysterious atmosphere that also enhanced the lighting condition and vanished the trees in the background. A polarizing filter and 1 step underexposure saturated colors. That day I finally captured a pleasing image and now I am able to pass the birch trees without any further regrets.

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