This week I got a new camera for my long exposures. It was a little more difficult to figure out than the iPhone camera, but the final images looked much better. I experimented with new tools such as my leaf shaped light and flashlight. I previously thought the hardest part of the project was going to be getting the background I want to be properly exposed. It was kind of difficult, considering it rained all weekend and I didn’t want to break the camera.

However, now I think the most difficult part will be getting the scale and shape of the tree correct. I am not as tall as a tree, so there’s no way I can make it the proper scale without doing forced perspective. That is, making the look as tall as all the others by standing closer to the camera. Here is my favorite image I was able to produce.

I was standing about 10 feet away from the camera and starting from the ground, but I think that going closer to the camera and mimicking the look of the surrounding trees would look a lot better. It would also be a good idea to add more branches lower down, and in general have a sketch of what I want to do before beginning the painting.

Here are some other attempts: