Free woodland photography guides
Free guides to help you see the woods differently.
A growing collection of free guides and resources, from practical field tips and camera settings to editing methods, creative prompts and honest questions about your own work. Each one is something I worked out in the woods myself, written to help you slow down and make more considered woodland photographs.
Honest questions for your work
Where are you in your work?
A self-assessment for photographers at every stage of their practice.
Not a set of tips, but a set of honest questions. Three phases, moving from the individual image, to the body of work, to the direction of the practice itself. There are no scores and no verdicts. What you cannot answer yet simply marks the edge of where your work currently reaches, and that edge is worth knowing. Wherever you find yourself in these pages, that is the right place to start.
The practical guides
Field tips, settings and editing help.
Taming the chaos: the key to better woodland composition.
Woodland can feel like chaos to photograph. This walks you through simplifying the scene and finding order in the tangle.
Transform your woodland photos with simple editing techniques.
Five practical edits that bring a woodland image to life without overdoing it: better contrast, cleaner colour, the right amount of polish.
The woodland camera settings fix (cheat sheet).
A one-page field guide to reliable starting points for ISO, aperture and shutter in the most common woodland light, from fog to dappled sun.
How to create unique photos on your doorstep.
You do not need a dramatic view to make a strong image. Ways to find original compositions in the familiar woods close to home.
5 simple tips to transform your woodland photography.
Five core ideas to help when you feel stuck or unsure where to point the camera. No rules, no trend-chasing, just timeless advice.
Woodland pre-shoot checklist + 5-day mini course.
A checklist to keep you prepared and focused, plus a free five-day email course on simplifying your kit and building confidence in any weather.
From Mud to Magic: the essential woodland RAW fix.
Most woodland edits fail before you touch a slider. A simple four-curve RAW prep method that gives you a clean, flexible base to build on.
Mindful photography prompts for planning and reflection.
Creative prompts to help you plan a more intentional walk, or reflect afterward, and reconnect with why you photograph the woods at all.
Take it further
Every guide here started as something I worked out for myself, in the woods, the hard way.