OZARK MOUNTAINS (9)

Ferns and lichens, Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas

While I’m writing this blog post snow comes down and will probably not stop before tomorrow afternoon. Well, it’s a good reason to post a photo with some green in it. In my first article about the Ozarks I talked about the challenge to find interesting details in late fall, when most leaves were gone already. These ferns and lichens on a rock wall along Cedar Creek in Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas are a good proof that beauty in a landscape is not just found at the great vistas. I’m pretty sure I will process this image as a black & white sometime later but for now, let’s enjoy some color.

Nikon Z6II, Nikkor Z 24-70, f/4 S, GITZO tripod GT2931 Basalt, KIRK BH-3 ball head,   @ 70mm, 1/50s, f/8, ISO 800

LOOKING DOWN, MANDATORY IN BAD WEATHER

Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario, Canada

When we have to deal with a gray overcast and maybe drizzle or rain it is tempting to leave the camera in a safe and dry place while going on a hike. By doing so it is guaranteed that most of the time we would just skip opportunities that may lead to a shot the “fair-weather-shooter” will probably never see. This is not the time for the great vistas but by keeping the eyes on the ground, between the rocks, bushes and trees, you will come back with a nature shot that is at least not the same the guy before you had already posted on the internet.

We had such a day while camping and spending time in Pukaskwa National Park, Ontario, Canada. I actually get excited if fast moving clouds, wind, and weather provide moments a bald, uniform blue sky will never deliver. Hiking through rugged terrain on the Manito Miikana trail, on a peninsula surrounded by the waters of Lake Superior, we saw this spot with rocks, ferns, moss, and lichens. Light wasn’t there in abundance but enough to make the click at 1/30s, f/8, and ISO 640. Sure, I could have made the picture at f/4 to get a faster shutter speed but I really wanted more depth of field since my subject wasn’t just the ferns but the whole scene. See the reflections on the ferns caused by the rain water? Yep, I left the polarizer in the camp site…😏