0904_0603 Western Hemlock
The theme of "Green", continued. The temperate rain forest of coastal British Columbia is not the easiest subject, I found, during my nearly four decades living there. Such complexity... density... a wild tangle of green. Strong graphics usually arise from simplification, and I find that much easier on the prairie. But there's no denying the beauty of those forests, and I kept working at ways to capture it, first on film, and later, digitally.
Cloudy days worked best; bright sunshine adds uncountable shadows to a scene, each of which becomes yet another element in any composition, adding to the natural complexity. Here, the light was soft, but the subject matter remained very complex. I tried a wide angle lens; didn't work. Switched to a medium telephoto view, which allowed me to isolate the trunk of this hemlock and render the background out of focus. Better!
I think maybe the moss in the middle of the trunk anchors the scene.
Western Hemlock is among the most important softwood products of coastal British Columbia. Others include Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, and Sitka Spruce. Hemlock and cedar are the second wave of trees to germinate and thrive following a forest fire. Douglas Fir grows faster, but eventually it shades out its own seedlings, which require direct sunlight. Hemlock and cedar can grow in shade, beneath the fir canopy, and a mature or climax forest is comprised largely of aged giants of these two species along with the towering survivors of the original fir regeneration, and a wide assortment of lesser trees and shrubs.
Photographed in Cowichan River Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2009 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
0904_0603 Western Hemlock
The theme of "Green", continued. The temperate rain forest of coastal British Columbia is not the easiest subject, I found, during my nearly four decades living there. Such complexity... density... a wild tangle of green. Strong graphics usually arise from simplification, and I find that much easier on the prairie. But there's no denying the beauty of those forests, and I kept working at ways to capture it, first on film, and later, digitally.
Cloudy days worked best; bright sunshine adds uncountable shadows to a scene, each of which becomes yet another element in any composition, adding to the natural complexity. Here, the light was soft, but the subject matter remained very complex. I tried a wide angle lens; didn't work. Switched to a medium telephoto view, which allowed me to isolate the trunk of this hemlock and render the background out of focus. Better!
I think maybe the moss in the middle of the trunk anchors the scene.
Western Hemlock is among the most important softwood products of coastal British Columbia. Others include Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, and Sitka Spruce. Hemlock and cedar are the second wave of trees to germinate and thrive following a forest fire. Douglas Fir grows faster, but eventually it shades out its own seedlings, which require direct sunlight. Hemlock and cedar can grow in shade, beneath the fir canopy, and a mature or climax forest is comprised largely of aged giants of these two species along with the towering survivors of the original fir regeneration, and a wide assortment of lesser trees and shrubs.
Photographed in Cowichan River Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, BC (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2009 James R. Page - all rights reserved.