I can't get forest shots right

[keller]

I've been doing a few photos of the forest lately, but I can't seem to get them right. I'm aiming to get that kind of calendar-style feel, with clear and crisp images. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I could improve these images?

The images have been shot with a compact digital camera, at +1 exposure. It was a warm and dry day, sunny (but the trees filtered out most of the sunlight).

 

[LaFoto]

How about trying to shoot at -1 stop!?!?!?
That did the trick to "my" wood pics ... only when I had FINALLY (took me a while I have to admit with a deep ) learned how to use my compact digital camera manually and I had turned into the not-fully-automatic path did I get the wood photos that I wanted. Deliberate underexposure was a help.

 

[JTHphoto]

i had the same trouble with my forest shots too, the mottled sunlight/shadows makes it tough to get the right exposure. overcast days work best for me, or wait for a cloud to block out the sun. diffused light seems to work better for me

 

[duncanp]

How about trying to shoot at -1 stop!?!?!?
That did the trick to "my" wood pics ... only when I had FINALLY (took me a while I have to admit with a deep ) learned how to use my compact digital camera manually and I had turned into the not-fully-automatic path did I get the wood photos that I wanted. Deliberate underexposure was a help.

I agree it helps to retain the highlight detail

And.... shoot at the smallest apature possible like 22

 

[Verbal]

I always underexpose my pictures, because later on it Photoshop you can always bring out the details in the darkness... but if you blow out an area by overexposing it, it's lost.

 

[JohnMF]

i find forest shots are tough to compose because there is so much going on usually

 

[Peanuts]

I always underexpose my pictures, because later on it Photoshop you can always bring out the details in the darkness... but if you blow out an area by overexposing it, it's lost.

Same here

i find forest shots are tough to compose because there is so much going on usually

And I was going so say I have a hard time composing photos in the forest because I can never find anything going on. ha. I am not creative enough it so seems