I am fortunate to live in the redwoods, about 45 minutes south of some of my favorite areas. A couple of fellow LF'ers are in the area and we have been meeting up and photographing for the last few days. This morning I picked them up at their camp in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and we drove over the hill to the ocean for their first visit to Fern Canyon. The often-packed parking lot at the end of the road had only two or three vehicles. Into the canyon three 8x10 cameras were carried by their servants. Light down canyon breeze moving the ferns covering the walls, my first image was a detail of the pebbles and water splashing off the wall into the creek. As noon approached we got a rare spell of still air, allowing multi-minute exposures including maidenhair ferns, thimble berry, and other such foliage in the canyon. The breeze picked up again and a light rain started as we splashed out of the canyon.
I dropped them back at their camp around 2:30, But as I was leaving, the still air kept me in the Park. One of the most beautiful sights and sounds -- a good rain falling through an opening above the creek...on maples with a backing of redwoods. The rain detaching large golden leaves, 6 to 10 inches wide floating slowly down. The rain slackened, so I walked back to the van, grabbed the 11x14 and ended the day with a couple more negatives exposed (a full-frame, and for fun, two 5x14s). I hope I got the sound of that rain -- just like a creek stretching after a long summer slumber. The gold in the air will be more difficult to translate. At 5:30 a quick stop in Orick to buy a Mountain Dew and a Moon Pie...caffeine and sugar to get me home.
The next couple days I will be in the redwoods to the south. Eel River flood-plain redwoods, very different from the hill redwoods in the north. A mud line 15 feet or more up the trunks mark the height of the 1964 flood...less visible than I saw them 45 years ago. Poison oak, climbing 30+ feet up the redwoods, will be dropping their red leaves at the slightest breeze. Pretty! Maples should also be in full color. Got to load up some more Acros in the 8x10 holders tonight!
Here's to our (sometimes extended) backyards!
A previous image made in our redwoods. 4x10 carbon print. Mill Creek, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
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