Forest Photography with Lee Cooper – Tips, Techniques and the Mindset Behind the Images
Forest Photography with Lee Cooper - The Mindset Behind the Images
Forest photography is one of the most rewarding genres of landscape photography—but it's also one of the most challenging. Unlike mountains or coastlines, woodlands are naturally chaotic, making it difficult to create simple, compelling compositions.
Recently, we caught up with Lee Cooper, one of the UK's best-known woodland photographers. Having built an audience of over 200,000 followers through his stunning photographs of the New Forest, Lee shared his journey into photography, his favourite equipment, and some brilliant advice for anyone wanting to improve their woodland photography.
From Photographing a Cat to Photographing the New Forest
Like many photographers, Lee didn't start with grand landscapes.
His first subject was... his cat.
After buying a camera almost by chance while working in marketing, he began experimenting before eventually discovering the misty mornings of the New Forest.
One sunrise completely changed everything.
Seeing the woodland wrapped in mist and early morning light sparked an obsession that continues today.
Rather than travelling to famous landscape locations, Lee decided to concentrate almost entirely on photographing one place, the New Forest.
It has certainly paid off.
Why Forest photography?
Many photographers head for dramatic coastlines, mountain ranges or famous viewpoints.
Lee deliberately chose something much more difficult.
For him, forests offer mystery.
Instead of photographing iconic locations that everyone recognises, he enjoys creating images that make people wonder where they were taken.
The woodland also provides something much more personal.
Photography has become a form of therapy.
Walking through the forest, searching for compositions and waiting for the perfect conditions allows him to switch off from everyday life and focus entirely on the scene in front of him.
© Lee Cooper
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What’s in Lee Cooper’s Camera Bag?
Lee shoots exclusively with Sony equipment and currently uses cameras including the Sony A7 IV and A7 V.
His preferred lenses cover a useful range for woodland photography:
• 12–24mm for wider scenes
• 24–70mm for everyday shooting
• 70–200mm for compression and detail
• 24–105mm, which he describes as one of the best woodland photography lenses available.
That extra reach beyond 70mm often allows him to isolate subjects and simplify naturally busy woodland scenes.
Don't Be Afraid of Wider Apertures
One piece of advice surprised us.
Many landscape photographers automatically reach for f/11.
Lee often doesn't.
Instead, he regularly photographs woodland scenes at f/4 to f/8, using a shallower depth of field to soften distracting backgrounds and help separate the main subject from the surrounding trees.
His philosophy is simple:
If the background is supposed to fade away, why not create that effect in-camera rather than relying entirely on editing?
It's a refreshing approach that works beautifully in misty woodland conditions.
Camera Settings for Woodland Photography
Lee keeps his shooting process straightforward.
His usual approach is:
• Aperture Priority mode
• Apertures between f/5.6 and f/8
• ISO adjusted to maintain a suitable shutter speed
• Will happily shoot up to ISO 3200 when needed
Interestingly, he isn't obsessed with technical perfection.
A little grain doesn't bother him if it helps preserve the atmosphere of the image.
His focus is always on how the photograph feels rather than whether every pixel is clinically sharp.
The Best Photograph Often Happens by Accident
One of Lee's favourite images almost never happened.
He had stopped for a coffee after deciding the conditions weren't particularly exciting.
While he was waiting, smoke from a nearby bonfire drifted through frosty woodland just as the rising sun broke across the landscape.
Everything came together perfectly.
The final edit took almost no work.
Sometimes the best photographs really are about being in the right place at exactly the right time.
Photography as Therapy
Perhaps the most interesting part of the conversation wasn't about cameras at all.
It was about mindset.
For Lee, photography provides an escape from the pressures of everyday life.
Searching for compositions, walking quietly through the forest and chasing those fleeting conditions creates a genuine sense of calm.
When asked what photography means to him, the answer was simple:
It's therapy.
It's also why he enjoys sharing the experience through workshops and helping others discover woodland photography for themselves.
Final Thoughts
Lee's work is a great reminder that incredible photographs don't always require travelling to the other side of the world.
Sometimes the best images come from knowing one location exceptionally well, understanding the weather, returning again and again, and learning to see beauty in places that many people simply walk past.
If you've never tried woodland photography before, perhaps this is the perfect excuse to set an early alarm, head into your local forest and see what you can discover.
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