Rainbow Eucalyptus trees because I know it ’ s an opportunity to be creative and produce an awesome photograph . Being in a grove of these trees is amazing because the colors are ever changing . I have photographed them on the Hawaiian Islands of Maui and Kauai .

The trees are native to the Philippines , Indonesia , and Papua New Guinea . In the Philippines , they are grown on plantations mainly for pulpwood , which is used to make white paper .

However , the rainbow eucalyptus tree is not native to the Hawaiian Islands . They were planted on the island of Oahu as part of a reforestation effort in the 1920s . Exactly how the rainbow eucalyptus was introduced to the rainforests of Hana is unknown . It has been speculated that the trees were planted in the 1930s to attempt to control soil erosion due to over logging . The trees can grow as much as six vertical feet per year and grow to heights of two-hundred feet and one-hundred inches in diameter . While the trees are very beautiful , they are an invasive species . They can absorb up to 100 gallons of water per day , drying out the soil they were planted to protect .

The exfoliating bark creates the constantly changing color patterns . Depending on the time of year , the brown bark starts to peel off in strips giving way to a light green color which over time changes to hues of blue , purple , orange , and red . The natural pigments that cause the color changes are chlorophyll ( greens ), carotenoids ( orange ), anthocyanins ( reds and purple ) and tannins ( brown ). The interaction of the pigments , plus environmental factors such as the amount of sunlight , temperature , and soil conditions determine the intensity and beauty in each tree . The swatches of colorful bark are created as the bark sheds throughout the year , producing a unique masterpiece of color and abstract art with each tree .

Depending on the artistic approach one takes there are a variety of ways to photograph these trees , limited only by your imagination . Each tree will lend itself to a specific approach . If you were standing in a grove of trees you might opt for a

wide-angle lens to capture the whole scene . Perhaps there are interesting knots on a tree , in which case you could decide to use a close-up or macro lens to reveal the texture of the knots and peeling bark . Knowing what you want to do with your photograph will dictate how you decide to capture the image . If you are going to post your photos on social media , or opt for a small framed image , your approach would be different than if you are going to create large abstract art to hang on your wall . When I photograph these trees , my objective is to find a composition and perspective that I think will be stunning on a wall in my home when enlarged .

Keep in mind , to get good photographs of the trees timing is everything . The optimal time to photograph the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees is in the early morning or late afternoon . In the morning , you may see trees glistening with dew and together with the soft morning light can lend itself to more saturated colors . In the late afternoon , you will find the trees bathed in a soft warm glow of sunlight . You can capture beautiful images by trying different perspectives and focal lengths . Try them all and see what you like . Let your imagination take over and you will no doubt come home with a stunning wall hanger .

If you get an opportunity to check out these beauties , I encourage you to spend some time looking at them closely and taking in Nature ’ s kaleidoscope of colors . You might even get lucky and have a gecko walk down the tree and pose for you as you are taking your photograph .

Have fun and stay focused !

Jeff Bentz is a travel and landscape photographer in Gilroy . Instagram @ jeff _ bentz _ photography / jeffbentzphotography . com

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