Capturing the Beauty of the Broom Tree in Pictures

The broom tree also known as the Scotch broom is a fascinating plant that can make for beautiful photographs. With its vibrant yellow flowers and spindly green stems, the broom tree has a unique look that pops against natural backdrops. In this article, we’ll explore some tips for capturing stunning pictures of the broom tree.

When and Where to Photograph Broom Trees

The broom tree blooms in spring and early summer, making this the optimal time to photograph it Mid-morning to mid-day is ideal, when the sun is high enough to illuminate the flowers. Broom trees grow in areas with full sun exposure, like meadows, hillsides, and coastal plains Popular locations include the Pacific Northwest in the United States, the British Isles, and around the Mediterranean.

I’ve found broom trees growing alongside roads and hiking trails. Look for the signature yellow blooms contrasting with the surrounding greenery. Parks, nature preserves, and open spaces are great places to find broom trees as well.

Compositional Tips for Photographing Broom Trees

• Capture the broom tree in its environment. Include the ground, additional vegetation or landscape features to convey the setting.

• Shoot from a low angle to emphasize the broom flowers against the sky. This enhances the vibrancy of the yellow blooms.

• Focus on filling the frame with broom blooms and stems. The sparse nature of the branches makes for striking negative space.

• Photograph broom groves to highlight the collective impact of the golden blossoms. Or, isolate a single broom for an intimate portrait.

• For variety, capture vertical and horizontal orientations, close-ups and wide shots. Explore different focal lengths too.

• Morning and evening light is ideal for photography when the sun is low and golden. But open shade works too.

• On windy days, take motion blur shots to portray the dynamic movement of the broom stems and flowers.

Camera Settings and Equipment for Photographing Broom Trees

• Use a low ISO for clean, sharp images, especially on sunny days. ISO 100 is a good starting point.

• Choose a medium aperture, around f/8 or f/11, to keep key portions of the broom tree in focus.

• Meter exposure for the yellow broom blooms. Slight overexposure is okay to maintain detail in the flowers.

• A macro lens can provide fine detail of broom buds and flowers. Zoom lenses allow flexibility in framing too.

• Tripods keep the camera steady, essential for excellent depth of field and clarity. Remote shutter releases prevent camera shake.

• Off-camera flash or reflectors can supplement lighting when photographing broom tree shade.

Post-Processing Pictures of Broom Trees

When editing broom tree photos, keep the following tips in mind:

• Boost contrast slightly to make the yellows pop against the green foliage. But don’t overdo it.

• Careful sharpening brings out details in the broom blossoms and branches.

• Desaturate other colors slightly to highlight the vibrant yellow broom blooms.

• Cropping images helps emphasize blooms and eliminate distracting elements. Maintain compositional balance.

• Conversion to black and white can produce striking graphic interpretations of broom tree images.

• For motion blur shots, reduce noise and adjust color for a cohesive effect.

Getting Creative With Broom Tree Photography

Beyond standard broom tree shots, get creative with these photo ideas:

• Use a shallow depth of field for artistic, dreamy background blur.

• Photograph broom trees at night using spot lights, flashlights, or moonlight.

• Frame extreme close-ups of broom flowers and buds through colorful or textured foregrounds.

• Incorporate people, animals, or structures within broom tree compositions.

• Try alternate angles like worm’s eye view for an unusual perspective.

• Get close and fill the frame with just a section of the broom tree.

• Use slow shutter speeds to create ethereal, painting-like interpretations.

Tips for Identifying the Broom Tree

Since the broom tree can be confused with similar species like gorse and broomrape, keep these identification tips in mind:

• Broom trees have bright yellow pea-like flower clusters on green slender branches with small leaves.

• Flowers have a typical papilionaceous shape, with a large “flag” petal, two side “wings” and two fused lower “keel” petals.

• The flowers produce narrow seed pods around 2-3 cm long.

• Broom trees have an open, airy appearance and only grow 1-2 meters tall.

• Stems are 5-ridged and slightly hairy, often with a silvery-green appearance.

• Leaves are small, smooth and trifoliate (with three leaflets).

Familiarizing yourself with the broom tree’s distinguishing visual characteristics will ensure you can readily identify it for photography sessions!

The vibrant yellow broom tree makes for spectacular spring photography. With a striking color palette and delicate nature, it’s a unique subject to capture in pictures. Use these tips to plan out broom tree photo shoots and take full advantage of its aesthetic beauty. With a little practice, you’ll be able to produce eye-catching broom tree images to enjoy for years to come!