I really need to get away from the urban posts for at least this photo, and perhaps the next. Ironically, I need to get back to the bridge posts soon though as I need to catch up on my Bridge studies for those following my Kickstarter project, and as I have been doing new rounds of the Portland bridges I have developed that series further.

But for now, into the forest. This one was found up in the Mt. Hood forest at a campground, though I forget just which. I caught a glimpse of these trees between the trunks of the two closer trees. The way they were leaning forward almost gave them impression of them shambling by while I sat hidden from view watching some secret arboreal parade.

As I have with clouds and sand, I have been slowly building a series on the forest, shot sort of in this manner. Which is to say, the forest is sort of a chaotic place, or at least in terms of humanity's definition of chaos. The forest actually has some alien sense of order that I imagine is just beyond our total comprehension. So I have been trying to find this through photography, and in the process trying to buck conventional modes of composition doing so. The trick is to keep just enough recognizable sense of composition that we (people) can look at the photo and at least comprehend a portion of it, but to not include so much that that human sense of order defines what is being photographed. If that makes any sense at all. It does to me, at least when I am standing out in the forest amidst the green and the moss and the quiet noises that the trees make when no one else is around.

Tags:   forest green trees Oregon film Pacific Northwest Mt. Hood lurking color Zeb Andrews photography Fuji Velvia 50 Pentax 6x7 Velvia mossy dim landscape Blue Moon Camera

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Taken at the trailhead to Proxy Falls. This arrow just made me chuckle a bit. I have sort of a thing for the number of arrows we use to direct our lives, and once you start looking for them, it really does surprise you just how often you find them. They really are everywhere, including out in the forest. In actuality this arrow was just pointing the way to the trailhead, but with the Fall colors bunched right around it, it seemed more like a guide for those who are capable of overlooking the obvious. Though I am not sure how anyone could have missed the Fall colors in this area, they were unbelievable. In some stretches of this highway there were what seemed like oceans of yellow, red and orange leaves, interspersed by islands of evergreen greens. It was hard to get anywhere because of the non-stop desire to pull over, luckily the actual number of spots to pull over was much less than the number of times such a desire hit.

Tags:   Oregon pentax 67 Proxy Falls Trailhead Pacific Northwest leaves hiking Fall Autumn Pointing out the obvious nature outdoors wilderness Zeb Andrews Zeb Andrews photography Blue Moon Camera

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My Holga and I seem to be getting along quite well this year. The camera has experienced a bit of a renaissance with me, which I am not quite sure how it began. But I won't argue it. As such it is now taking me about a month and a half to finish off an 8 shot roll of film in pinhole, the Holga is just seeing that much more use. I love this $30 camera.

I am getting ready to head out on a small road trip with Aaron next week. He doesn't know it yet, but I am going to hide his 5DII and leave a Holga in its place. :-p

This was taken out in the forest around Ecola State Park along the Oregon coast. Those trees there are so recognizable in their form and nature.

Tags:   Holga green mossy very mossy square film Holga 120FN Zeb Andrews photography color landscape nature forest trees coast Oregon coast Oregon Pacific Northwest Cannon Beach Fuji Pro 400H plastic lens toy camera Blue Moon Camera

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These greens are going to start fading fairly rapidly now that Summer seems to be strengthening its hold and Oregon begins to dry out. But that is what pictures and memories are for, at least until next Spring. :-)

Taken in Cullaby Lake Park along the Oregon coast.

In semi-related news, the last three of our Exposure Northwest workshops are all almost full, there are only one or two spots remaining in each, so if you have been on the fence regarding enrolling in one, I would encourage you to think quickly. I have not written much up about them since they began, but they have been very successful, and not just in terms of enrollment, but more importantly, the experience of the attendees. There have been some very rewarding moments. I have always enjoyed those moments teaching, when you feel like you have finally connected with someone and swept away a curtain in their vision exposing whole new perspectives for them. Then you can see their eyes light up and the excitement in them build as they run off to find photographs that were previously unrealized. My philosophy regarding teaching has long been to not help my students take better photos, but to help them become better photographers. The former is fairly easy, all you have to do is set up students in the spots you would take photos and have them take the same exact pictures you would have. The latter is a bit more tricky, it is helping teach them to exercise their own vision and expand their perspectives to find their own new photographs, including those that you, the teacher, had never realized yourself. In other words, you are not merely trying to make them a photographer like you, for better or worse, but into their own photographer. Anyway, I ramble a bit and I have errands to get started on, including watching a little Germany vs. Spain. Now that will be exciting.

Tags:   green trees forest Spring film Pentax 6x7 Zeb Andrews photography branches nature outdoor Oregon Pacific Northwest landscape Blue Moon Camera

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The forest inside of Ecola State Park. The coastal forests have such a different look and feel than the ones farther inland. Anyway, off to bed. Have another workshop tomorrow from 4 til midnight, so naturally I am getting up at 5 am to go shooting. A pleasantly long day in the works.

Tags:   forest trees mossy moss green film Pentax 6x7 Oregon landcape Kodak Ektar 100 dark saturated Pacific Northwest Cannon Beach Ecola State Park Oregon Coast Zeb Andrews photography Blue Moon Camera

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