Sieur de Monts and the Wild Gardens of Acadia are as historical as they are beautiful. George Dorr purchased the Sieur de Monts spring and surrounding area in 1909, renaming it the Wild Gardens of Acadia, where he hoped to preserve it for public enjoyment and education. Eventually he presented it to the United States Government to become part of Acadia National Park, and so it is today one of Acadia’s special places, where the early French explorers to Mount Desert Island found fresh waterfor their needs.
I was very much attracted to the small clump of cinnamon fern, seemingly alone in a sea of grasses punctuated by the ever-present slender trunks of white birch. In the early morning light, creating a gossamer carpet, the attraction became complete. A focal length of 78mm, very short telephotoland, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted with almost no magnification. An aperture of f/20 provided depth-of-field, and a shutter speed of 1/6th second at ISO 100 in the still air, gave me a very-slightly-lighter-than-medium exposure.
Last week there was rock. Today there is light. I suppose next week’s offering will have to be about water…the three cornerstones of an Acadian experience.
Really enjoying this picture. I struggle shooting trees and this gave me a different perspective to look at. I always try to include the entire tree, and your picture shows that isn’t always necessary. Even with just a portion of the trees, I see the entire scene. I also like the tunnel effect through the middle. It draws my eyes out the back of the picture. Thanks for sharing!
I’m presently on a mini-vacation in Babcock State Park, WV. Everything is so verdant here, it’s difficult to photograph any particular plant, like your clump of cinnamon fern against a field of green and tree trunks. Your depth of field keeps the foreground to background sharp. Might you play with that a bit to keep the cinnamon fern sharp, while softening the foreground and background?
The fern and grasses are good, but it’a the quality of the light that makes this image such a delight to look at. I took a photo last year from almost the same position, I think, but the light was different, not so wonderful.
The light in this image could not be better if you had ordered ahead! It is making the spring green look so fresh and inviting. I bet this would look pretty yummy to a moose… so much fresh tender grass with cinnamon on the side! Like a candy store! I like how you positioned the fern. It has prominence there, but not the whole story. The story is more about how the fern is surrounded by so much beauty. Thanks again for sharing one of the special spots on our planet.
Good evening Everyone. Sometimes blessings come wrapped in disguise. In this case having four responses to This Week’s Image is truly a blessing. Bonnie and I arrived in Deerfield, Massachusetts this evening following a seven-hour drive from Mount Desert Island, Maine, where we have been with family for the past week. It was an excellent week, but very long, so I’m not certain my energy level this evening would have allowed for many more responses than the four excellent comments that have appeared. Thank you for joining me as we continue to discuss the beauty of Acadia National Park and its environs.
Hey Kev. Thanks very much for joining me. I have learned over the years that there are innumerable ways to photograph trees, from individual singles to clusters of many, even an entire forest. I believe that whether one, or many, it’s almost always a story about relationships: the tree to its environment, or the individuals of a cluster to each other. While the Sieur de Monts area had opportunities for both, it’s generally the members of a cluster – commonly known as a copse – in relation to each other that captures my eye. As you suggest also, the entire tree is not necessary to an image that works. Trees are like people when it comes to creating images that work. Part will often work as well as whole; it’s primarily about where you make the crop. When I’m working with a cluster, I usually look to find a pathway through the elements, and will move myself until I can find one. Good observations. Thanks, again.
Howdy Donald. Thank you for joining us. Babcock State Park is a beautiful location in a beautiful state. I hope your visit is bringing you much enjoyment. You are right that in this case I chose to maximize my depth-of-field,having decided that there were other factors that helped to focus my eye on the ferns, especially the tunnel effect that Kevin mentioned. You could certainly work another way and seek to focus the viewer’s eye through selective depth.The difficulty would be, I believe, the fact that so many elements of the image are nearly on the same plane as the ferns that those elements would remain in focus along with the ferns themselves. It would certainly be fun to see what could be done along those lines.
Hi Joel. It’s great to hear from you! I hope all is well. In the moment I took this Image the sun was peeking through some very thin clouds, making for a bit less contrast that open skylight. I had tried to be patient and wait for the sun to do what it did, actually concerned that the contrast had become too great for the image to work. I was grateful when saw the result on the monitor and realized that the softness had prevailed.
Hey Nancy T. What wonderful observations you have shared! I agree with you completely that the image is about relationships: the birches to each other and the ferns to the birches; and I appreciate your thoughts on the quality of the light. It does give a vibrancy to the spring green that might not have been so strong otherwise. I thought about you a lot this past week, remembering how much you love the beauty of this place.
Thanks, again, Everyone. Your thoughts and expressions have helped clarify for all of us how the light adds a dimension to an image that might otherwise be wanting. Have an excellent week.