Forest Fringe (and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!)

An aspect of photography that I find intriguing is how variable my ability to “capture the mood” is. Sometimes it’s seems easy, sometimes I feel like I’m banging my head on a wall.

This is a shot from a day I spent a day exploring Trout Creek and River Route Roads along the Klickitat River last month. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.

It was rainy, with fog and mist waxing and waning through the canyon all day. The color was spectacular in many spots. The mix of canyon, river, color, forest, and mist was thoroughly enchanting. I took a lot of photos, but none that I feel really captured all that the day presented. Bummer. On the other hand, each time I draw a bit of a blank I think I learn a little more of what doesn’t work, and hints of what might have. I’d love to go back in the future.

Nikon D80
Nikon 50 mm f/1.8
1/3 sec at f/13 and ISO 100

I really like this John, my eye is first drawn to the gorgeous colors and then through the open window beyond and into the forest. The light fog adds a hint of "dreamy" to the mix. Nice job!

Same thoughts as Craig voiced. This is really nice to look at on this Thanksgiving Day!

Sounds like a fruitful exploration, John, the way you describe the trip, the day, the mood, and your experience trying to capture it just right. I think sometimes there just isn't "that one" image that can capture it all... At any rate, I think this is a fine shot. Certainly the mood of the season is there: the last hurrah of color for the year, the feeling of quieting down, solitude in peace. If that comes close to how you felt that day on your journey, then this image is a great success. As I look at it, that's what I feel. And I get a great pleasure when a photograph speaks to my imagination like that.

So, if I may propose... Rather than describe the look of the day or place or moment, an image can just as well capture the feeling of the season, a place, a moment or the "interior scene" of the photographer. And I think this image accomplishes both a look and a feeling – a huge success despite the frustration from the sense of not getting one "that captured all that the day presented." I think that happened at Mt. Adams– a few times in a lifetime miracle of your creative potential.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the comments! I've fiddled with it a bit more, and will post the update in ESS.

With a bit of reflection, your thoughts make perfect sense Catherine. Thanks for "ruminating" with me. (Veterinarians have to throw that word into a conversation now and again .)

I think you captured the mood quite well John. Love the contrast between the bright foreground and muted background. And sometimes, the best images are captured by the mind's eye. Usually the strongest memories as well!

I often find myself feeling similarly when presented with a broad array of possibilities, particularly if there are many elements that don't combine neatly into one photo. Ex: a pretty creek but the bank is eroded, along with nice color, but it's dispersed too far apart. I think in such situations the eye tends to scan the scene from one pleasing aspect to another, and then the mind tends to lump them all together in a way that makes an epic photo seem like a foregone conclusion. And yet the beautiful and the photogenic are often two different animals.

I think you've done well here.

Dreamy and wishing i was walking through it. :)

Really great colors and a great feel to this photo.