Fine Art Photography Blog

Seattle is a notoriously wet place; all the more so as fall takes hold of our region. The rainy season hasn’t begun yet, so as hard as this may be to believe, the few actual rains we’ve had thus far are almost a novelty. That will change, soon and dramatically, but until then the water seems interesting and not oppressive.

These leaves come from a more popular section of Carkeek Park. Near the beach, a meadow clearing leads into the forest and up the side of a ravine. A stream flows out to Puget Sound and then the Pacific Ocean, fed by even smaller tributaries draining down the hillside. Naturally, this is home to a number of green leafy plants living at the forest floor, soaking up the water. Here, a leaf from one of the trees overhed has met its resting place among the understory. The plant supporting it is glistening from a fresh rain.

Note: As unnatural as the coloring in the oak leaf looks, this is not a Photoshop artifact.

Below is ground cover in Queen Ann, with drops of water shining like jewels.

Both of these were shot using a Canon 5D and 135 mm f/2 L, mounted to a Manfrotto tripod.  In both cases, mirror lockup was needed, partially due to the close range.  The first exposure was six seconds, but it’s remarkable how much wind the trees block.  Shot in the open, the lower image required me to wait for the breeze to stop.