Between seasons, Big Bog State Recreation Area (North Unit), Minnesota
The snow from the morning was melting away quickly when we entered the Big Bog for a second time. We had been there the day before (without snow) and were totally fascinated by this landscape and its plants. Before you enter the small part that is accessible of this 500-square mile peat bog you walk along a lake. The colorful leaves, mirrored in the lake, stood in a nice contrast to the white stems of the birches and of course the fresh snow. The clouds moved rapidly and a hint of blue sky added to the scene and made for a nice color contrast. A photo that tells the story of the changing season.
A mile-long boardwalk leads into the bog. It allows visitors to get a good look at the unique plants and wildlife and at the same time protects the fragile ecosystem below. The open-work plastic grates let sunlight reach the plants under the boardwalk. Without light, they would die, and a shallow water trench would form. It would take many years for the plants to recover.
This photo was made at the end of the boardwalk. Another shower of sleet and rain came down on us. I had the camera on tripod and wanted the snow and rain be visible as trails in the picture. The new 3-stop Breakthrough graduated neutral density filter was mounted in front of the 16-35 and prevented the burnout of the highlights in the clouds. I shot in aperture priority mode and at ISO100 and f/18 the exposure went to 1/40s, long enough to produce some subtle snow trails.
This grassy trench is the result of human efforts to drain the bog many years ago but this project luckily failed. I used the compression effect of the long lens and made this photo at 400 mm focal length. The light on the tamarack trees, whose needles had turned already yellow, caught my eye.