On Photographing the Forest

     One of the reasons I moved to Oregon is for its lush, and verdant forests. They are explosive with colors and textures, and are some of the largest ecosystems on our planet. When I step into one, I feel instantly calm yet my heart is on the verge of exploding. It's the best feeling I know, especially when accompanied by my dog and husband. I love to run my hands along the moss (it's quite nice after a fresh rain!), poke at the lichens, and feel the soft new tips of the conifers. 

     I just recently started to photograph it. At times when I go on a hike, I can't even conceive of putting my eye to a viewfinder, so the cameras stay home. I just want to experience it, and have that full feeling in my heart. Not to mention, photography can make an already exhausting trek even more so. But lately, I've decided to change that. I've found that carrying along my Hasselblad can take me to a place within the forest I didn't know I could go to. Gazing into its viewfinder, everything seems more wonderful.  The greens greener, the moss mossy-er! At the same time, it forces you to strip down the forest into basic elements lest you end up with poorly composed photos (of which I have plenty, some of them are probably here). You have to look for symmetry, forms, shapes, textures, and, perhaps, most importantly light. You have to take a dynamic, complex place, and simplify it. For me, it's one of my greatest photographic challenges.  

     So, here is a series of forest photos I shot in black and white. The goal was to explore shape and texture, and, simply, how black and white film responds to light in the forest. The day I shot these I was out with two of my flickr friends, Vanessa and Danielle, who are both dreamy medium format photographers. I'm not entirely in love with any of these, but I'm excited to see where I go with this. Not to mention, the hikes I'll have to take to get wherever this is leading me!