Have a safe journey... we'll be following in your footsteps in mid-June on our way down to Portland!
I've been told that it may get too windy to use LF and that a smaller format may be the better tool to use. I would assume this to be a seasonal thing but... any suggestions?
Today is perfect in Humboldt County -- fog and little wind -- great for those long exposures in the redwoods.
In June and the rest of the summer, early in the day it is often foggy and good for photography in the redwoods. Later in the day the north wind can pick up, clearing off the fog and making LF photography along the coast difficult. In the summer, having sun most often means having a strong north wind. But often the wind will die down around sunset.
A light wind on the coast might still allow still air in the redwoods. The best time of day under the redwoods is usually 10am to 2pm, when an overcast or fog creates a giant softbox effect, creating pools of light coming straight down through openings in the canopy, with a good amount of contrast for silver gelatin printing. Also, during this time, the up-canyon and down-canyon winds are counter balanced, giving still air for awhile.
My favorite time to photograph in the Redwoods is late Fall and through the winter when a light overcast between storms gives still air. And as the leaves drop off the alders and berries, the view under the redwoods opens up. Plus if shooting B&W a yellow filter creates great highlights when the maples (Big Leaf and Vine maples) and the berries' leaves turn yellow.
The last few years I have been able to take advantage of sun coming directly through the canopy -- carbon printing can take the contrast easily in stride. But with sun comes a greater chance of wind, and the quickly shifting light is much greater challenge to capture than the relatively stable "softbox" light of an overcast.
But it is always beautiful.
The redwoods in the southern part of the county (along the Eel River) are much different than the conditions above. Farther from the coast, and in a major river valley, the fog can leave much earlier in the day, if it is there at all...with a greater chance of a breeze. There are groves with much less undergrowth (flood plains), some areas with the forest floor covered with redwood sorrel (think of the Wayne Bullock image of his young daughter at the base of a redwood), and a good amount of poison oak (not found on the coast).
Thanks Jim, that’s interesting. A few years ago I stop at one of the parks (I think it was a USG) and they told me the best month is June, strange.
Gale
based on what I saw yesterday....The wild azaleas are starting to bloom -- those that are getting lots of sun will peak this week, as are the wild irises. The Rhodies deep in the redwoods will not be far behind (Lady Bird Johnson Grove and the trail down to the Tall Trees Grove, both in Redwood National Park, are good places to see these amongst the old redwoods.
The non-native rhodies are in full bloom around the gardens and yards of the county.
The triliums have been out for awhile, but there are still some fresh ones to be seen.
Thanks for the excellent reply. The bad news is I'm not going to make it up there this year as I have my first art show, for the season, in a couple of weeks and I need to get ready. Now that I have a better idea of when the bloom happens, I will put it on my calendar for next year.
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