Green Explosion

Matt Tilghman

Like so many people in the Bay Area, I've got drought fever. The landscape has just been so dry this winter. I miss the verdant scenes I've come to expect this time of year. So when the most recent heavy rains hit, all I wanted to do was head out to see how the lands would react. I wanted to go somewhere that I thought would react fairly immediately to the rains, as well as somewhere that I hadn't been yet. So after some deliberation, I decided to head out to Samuel P Taylor State Park -- a forest I'd passed through on several visits to Point Reyes, but never hiked in. The park was the perfect destination. The forests were indeed teeming with moisture, and the greens were exploding from their den of hiding. This photo was taken on Bill's Trail. The clearing storm made for a windy day, hence some motion blur in the foreground ferns.


Green Explosion

T H O R

I know what you mean about a dry winter, it's dry here in Tx also. However the blue bonnets are starting to bloom.

I like the photo. But I think I'd like it better without all of the bright light coming in and causing halos. I think the one on the far left, where the sun is peeking through is where my eye goes the most. I covered it with my thumb and it really toned the image down and made the image look more natural. As for the wind, you can't do much about that. I do like the rich colors....makes me wish I could smell the air..

Todd

Matt Tilghman

Thanks for the substantive comment, Todd! I have tried what you did (covering it with my thumb), and agree that it gives the image a whole different feeling. I might like it better, too... I'll experiment with actually changing it later.