There’s something about tree-lined country roads that I’ve always loved and I suppose I am not alone. They draw us in and this is especially so when the trees create a tunnel affect. The first image provides this affect, offering a white glow in the distance. Created by smoke from an area control burn this was lucky timing on our part. We scouted for other tree-lined roads and found one that offered some charm all its own.
A major objective on a recent photo adventure to South Carolina was to photograph the trees in the ocean at Edisto Island. I had been admiring photographs from this location for years. When we arrived we learned that the road leading to them was washed out and closed. Dismayed, we surveyed the area on Google Earth to see if we could find an alternate route but were unsuccessful. Each day we checked the road to see if it had been repaired, and then finally, the day before we were to leave we learned it would open the next morning. Hurray… we were thrilled and the first ones at the gate which opened at 6 am! In the dark, we hiked a half mile to the beach and there they were, trees in the water and along the beach. I quickly set my sights on a tree that I found to have the most pleasing shape and got to work. Finding a vantage point along the cluttered beach that was away from the surf was important so that my camera did not move during the exposure. Pre-visualizing the look of a long exposure to smooth out the breakers my first exposure was long enough to achieve what I was after, because it was still quite dark. As the sky began to lighten I used a 6-stop and then a 10-stop ND filter. Being there was a wonderful experience and I feel so fortunate that we were able to photograph at this location before ending our awesome adventure.
While traveling south on a photo adventure last week my friend and I stopped to photograph some rather unique abandoned buildings. Situated at a busy crossroads in a rural setting, they more than stood out with their bold, abstract expressionistic designs. Odd and fascinating they provided a fun subject as I set out to photograph the artwork in such a way to repurpose it, and make it my own.
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