“Spring Approaches”
Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die. Day after grey day the ice stayed hard; the world remained unfriendly and cold.”
― Neil Gaiman
Contrary to the quote that I chose for this image, with the lengthening days and a few days of sunshine, winter is beginning to loosen its icy grip on the forest. The patches of ice and snow are retreating and the dull browns and yellows of the forest floor are beginning to take over.
Today, as I ventured into the forest once more, sounds dominated. There was the crunch, crunch of my icers (metal cleats that I attach to my hiking boots), on the frozen trail, hints of birdsong in the distance, and the roar of the wind, high above, setting the treetops into a wild frenzy of movement. As I watched the branches sway and clatter together, the movement reminded me of birth, the forest is waking, after its slumber and soon more hints of green will begin to emerge, the cycle repeats and soon, it will not just be sights and sounds, but the smells of the forest, that dominate.
This image, though not a filled with colours as my previous post, nicely illustrates the recession of snow, as it retreats back into a shallow valley, a brief respite from its inevitable demise.
Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 70mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0 ISO 250
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This is one of my favorites of this type. For me it is just enough movement to blend the muted colors together but still leave some detail in the bark on the trees.
Thanks. There’s always trial and error. It’s a ‘feel’ I’m trying to convey. Interestingly, when I make a photo without movement, the colours are often muted. The longer exposure brings out subtleties that don’t show in a “typical” photo. That’s why I am so drawn to this approach in my photography.