“There are a few precious days in February when hints of spring float in the air.” – Ed Lehming

I’m continuing with a series of photos I made last weekend while hiking local trails. These are the final few days of February and I was glad to have two wonderfully mild and bright days to be on the trails.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a repeat injury to my knee which has kept me off the uneven and often icy trails since December. So to be back out in such ideal conditions makes it doubly nice.

The dark days of winter are passing behind us and the sun is getting higher in the sky each day. I find it has a beautiful warmth this time of year and sheds just enough light to bring out the highlights in the otherwise dull forest. It’s these patches of light that I am so fond off because they draw my attention into distant details that I might otherwise miss.

When composing this image, my primary intent was to capture vertical lines of the trees in the foreground contrasting with the horizontal movement of the snow and long shadows around them. However, there are a few ‘pops’ of golden light in the background that pull you deeper into the image and scan the tangle of trees along the distant hillside.

It’s the continuous realization of these scenes that has me coming back to the forest time and time again. It’s never the same twice and there is always some new revelation for me to enjoy.

Nikon D800
Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD @ 90 mm
1/4 sec, f/32.0, ISO 100

For more images like this, please visit my website (images are available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com