forest Archives

iPhone Friday

Discover the magic of iPhone Friday in the Woods through a photo that tells a story of golden autumn vibes and nature’s beauty.

Another Friday and, hopefully, a great weekend to look forward to! Browsing through my iPhone photo library, I actually found several cool shots after I last posted in this series, so there are more stashed away for upcoming episodes!

As I scrolled through the memories captured in those images, I realized how each photo tells its own story, evoking the feelings and emotions of that specific moment in time.

This one from last October is particularly special. I remember standing there, feeling the gentle breeze brush against my skin as I looked up and admired the interplay of colors and sunlight filtering through the leaves. The golden hues of autumn wrapped everything in a warm embrace, creating a scene so picturesque that it felt like stepping into a painting. Every detail—from the way the light danced upon the branches to the crispness of the air—added to the beauty of that moment, reminding me why I love this season so much.

I’m eager to share more of these cherished snapshots in the future, each one revealing a little piece of my journey and the world around me. So stay tuned for more visual stories to brighten your days!

There’s just nothing like the fresh autumn air, a mild breeze, and the sun bringing out all the color that surrounds us! The vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow paint the landscape, creating a breathtaking canvas that captures the essence of the season. Each breath fills the lungs with a crispness that invigorates the spirit, while the rustling leaves provide a soothing soundtrack to our surroundings. Families gather for weekend outings, enjoying the simple pleasure of pumpkin picking and nature walks, embracing the warmth of each other’s company. For my money, it doesn’t get any better until the next great day! The anticipation of falling temperatures and cozy evenings spent by the fire adds an extra layer of magic to this time of year.

Forest Floor Serenity

Photographic opportunities are all around us, including the forest floor at our feet.

For this Sunday, I am going back to an image from quite a while back. I often refer to the need to look for photographic opportunities in all directions. This includes looking down from time to time, as sometimes we find a gem right at our feet.

This image came from one of those moments of observation…

An image of two mushrooms on the forest floor, surrounded by pine needles. — Forest Floor

As I was walking back to the parking lot during a dog agility event, I noticed these beauties on the forest floor. As there were plenty of people around, I took the opportunity right away to capture this little scene.

The composition of this image violates some of the standard rules for good photography, but it works for me. I have actually looked at this image mirrored along the vertical axis, and it feels off in some way. I think that the part that works is created by the lines that I managed to capture, even though the hero is on the left hand side. I’m curious what you think about this.

Another example of what might be captured right at our feet is in ‘A Thursday Throwback – 3‘. Also, I was lucky to get this shot while I could, as both mushrooms became casualties of foot traffic later…

Sunday’s Serene Path

Walking through a tranquil forest brings clarity to the mind, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature.

I thoroughly enjoy walking through a quiet forest, as it truly helps still my mind. Of course, the forest is not entirely silent, as the wind plays through the trees, birds share their songs, etc. This mixture of sounds provides a soothing symphony to the sometime cacophony that might play in my head.

Today, let’s take a walk through a forest…

I captured this moment in Baxter State Park, which is a fair way up in the great state of Maine. During a photography, trip I had the pleasure of sauntering a distance from the rest of the group and found this lovely path. It just pulled my imagination in, as I could only wonder what might lie at its end…

Also, the mosses on either side of the path were extremely inviting. I tested their softness, as I listened to the silence around me.

Sunday Abstract

Experimentation is key in photography, whether to create abstract images or push representation into different realms.

I have always felt that experimentation is a key part of my photographic journey, as it opens up the possibility of creating images beyond the direct observation of the physical and into that of our mind’s eye. Part of these discoveries go into the realm of abstract imagery.

I would like to share one of these images from about 8 years ago…

The technique to create this image is pretty straightforward in that I used a bit of linear movement with a 1/6 second exposure. As I wanted to preserve the directionality of the trees, I kept the motion along the same lines presented by those same trees. With a bit of experimentation the diagonal that is near the bottom of the image was preserved, allowing the lower right hand to almost create its own separate space in both color and shapes.

The juxtaposition of the yellows of the leaves and the blue, green and dark orange in the lower section provides a pleasing interplay, giving the eye an opportunity to discover more in the overall presentation.

On the technical details, I shot this with a Fujifilm X-T1, at f/10 to get the aperture to the 1/6 second mentioned earlier.

Silent Paths

The sounds of silence

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge provides the theme of Silence.

One of the wonderful things about going into Nature, is that you experience a kind of silence that we can never get around the cities and towns, in which most of us live. For me, there’s nothing like the silence of being in the woods, far enough away from civilization that the only sounds that remain are produced by Nature.

Of course, these locales are not completely silent, but it appears that the sounds that are present become part of a tapestry, such that it doesn’t disturb, but, rather, envelop our own presence within the woods.

Forest-Path-Baxter-State-20060604-LW4O2297 — *Silent Path*

This moss-surrounded path allowed for very quiet walking, so that I felt part of the landscape. Also, the moss made for a wonderful resting place!

Have a wonderful day!

Beautiful Fungus

Forest floor magic

The WordPress Daily Prompt brings the focus on the lonely Mushroom. This brought me immediately to an image that I captured a number of years ago.

Mushrooms always have a bit of mystery surrounding them, as they can often be attractive, delicious and deadly… A thorough understanding of the lowly fungus is not something that many of us possess, which causes most to give the mushroom a wide berth. While I’m not a student of mycology, I do appreciate the beauty that mushrooms often posses, as they appear on forest floors, trees and many other locations that sometimes seem incongruent with growth.

Here’s one of these little beauties…

Mushrooms_MG_0090 — *The Gentle Mushroom*

A chance encounter, as I tend to keep an eye out for anything interesting to capture, causing me to get down to a lower level, so that I could get a proper view of the wonderful structure of this mushroom.

Have a wonderful day!

Wanderlust – the Path

Exploring a path!

With the inspiration from the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge’s theme of Wanderlust, there may still be a couple of images that I’ll share.

In this 4th episode, I’d like to share another tale of wandering about. This occurred during a weekend of moose photography in Baxter State Park in Northern Maine. The group that I was with was rather loud, so, after clearing it with the tour leader, I went for a bit of exploration on the other side of the pond where we were shooting.

Which led me down this wonderful path surrounded by mossy ground…

Baxter-State-20060604-LW4O2297-wm — *The Path*

This was one of those paths that you just want to follow, as you know that there’s something magical up ahead. And sometimes there isn’t… I enjoyed this path as it led me to more small ponds, none of which provided really wonderful photo opportunities. I even tested out the moss to find that it was indeed really soft!

Sometimes, it is just the joy of following a path, even when you don’t know where it leads. And in this case it was also the joy of finding some solitude.

Oh, and by the way, when you’re in the woods, it is wonderful to be quiet and listen to all those little sounds of Nature; loud conversations carry for at least half a mile!

Wanderlust – Harvard Forest

Random acts of beauty

As I feel a bit inspired by the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge’s theme of Wanderlust, I figure that I’ll share some of my travel images over the next couple of days.

In this 2nd episode, I feel compelled to talk about one of the activities that I allow to occur from time to time: wandering! When I talk about wandering, I refer to that random turn in a direction that I have never explored before or the urge to ignore the sign that states that the pavement ends!

This is what gets me off the beaten path and has resulted in some serendipitous discoveries, such as this one…

Harvard-Forest-Pond-Petersham_14E0575_6_4_7_8_tonemapped — *Harvard Research Forest*

Ignoring posted signs about the pavement is exactly what got me here, as at the end of the pavement there was a dirt track that I followed taking somewhat random turns in directions that looked interesting.

The Harvard Research Forest is a 3000 acre site near the town of Petersham in Massachusetts, and is used by the university for ecological research. As you can tell from this image, there are some pristine ponds that are a delight to behold.

So, the next time you go wandering, take that turn you have not explored before and ignore that occasional sign; you never know where it might lead…