Doriath

[Haakon]

This is the kingdom of Thingol and Melian that is eventually protected by the Girdle of Melian; that means Neldoreth (mainly beech forest), Nivrim (mainly oak forest) and Region (a mixed forest of beech, birch, maples, chestnuts?) not Nan Elmoth or Brethil. Also included is Arthórien/Garthúrian/Radhrim, where the guest-elves settle.

 

[Haakon]

So this could be Neldoreth:

 

[Haakon]

Nivrim, perhaps?

 

[Haakon]

Also typical Nivrim scene with some wild boar eating acorns but could be Region as well.

 

[Haakon]

Maybe the northern part of Region and Neldoreth (close to Dor Dínen and Nan Dungortheb) could be a bit wilder, at least after the attack of the spiders.
Everybody seem to film in British Puzzlewood, but you can understand why.

 

[Haakon]

I’m looking for pictures of a more dense leaf tree forest with tall, broad trees.... I don’t feel I’ve found the perfect Region pics.

 

[Nicholas Palazzo]

I’m looking for pictures of a more dense leaf tree forest with tall, broad trees.... I don’t feel I’ve found the perfect Region pics.

How is this?

 

[Faelivrin]

Region is named for hollies, so there should be many of them. Also there are probably other, less common trees as Haakon mentioned: maple, birch, chestnut, linden.

Finding a real-world forest with the huge trees and healthy ecosystem to properly represent Doriath will be extremely hard, if not impossible. Humans have done their damned hardest to cut down every temperate old-growth forest on Earth. Bialowieza might work? I like the Puzzlewood. Or what does the Black Forest look like?

It's easier for Doriath in Season 2 when the forest is younger, but even then it probably included many trees that had slept the Sleep of Yavanna since the downfall of the Lamps, ancient and huge indeed.

 

[Haakon]

One problem is that Doriath doesn’t seem to have any conifers, and many of the older forests do, for example the Schwarzwald. Well, the search continues. No Nick, I think those trees are too young.

 

[Haakon]

Ok I've found some pictures of holly that I find pretty inspiring actually.
Especially these two give some idea of what a forest full of hollies could look like. Not that they show a forest scene, but they are large and you can picture elves living in them...

 

[Faelivrin]

One problem is that Doriath doesn’t seem to have any conifers, and many of the older forests do, for example the Schwarzwald. Well, the search continues.

It's true there's no mention of them, except in the early Lay of the Children of Hurin which isn't necessarily a good guide since the pines got taken out. But it might be supposed there were a few here and there. Still the overall impression is definitely of a broadleaf deciduous forest, not a mixed forest.

An added difficulty is that to be perfectly accurate, the clearings must have elanor and niphredil in them... and maybe evermind ... but I suppose that could be attempted with CGI, if it could be made beautiful.

 

[Haakon]

Niphredil would perhaps look something like this:

 

[Konrad S]

I was thinking of something to create an effect like this:
for forests like Doriath, Ossiriand and other southern ones.

Yakushima Forest Japan: