Redwoods ... Rainy Season Best 4 Photography

[mdvaden]

For those who are enthusiastic about photography, a note that autumn and winter (wet season) is the ultimate time for getting photos in the Coast Redwoods. The best parks being Jedediah Smith, Prairie Creek and Humboldt Redwoods. Redwood National is awesome too, but the other 3 parks will supply just as well without heading up the steep Bald Hills Rd. Watch the forecasts ... but right about mid-October things start getting into gear. If you can't make it November and afterward when rain really kicks into gear, the autumn color of maples in October make up for it. The fall color of Bigleaf maples extends a little into November.

The Coast Redwoods become MORE evergreen in autumn / winter, than spring / summer.

When, say, Salmonberry drops leaves, you can see through to Evergreen Huckleberry and Sword Ferns. It's equal evergree, but a gain in texture of tan stems, and 8 times the visibility in some areas. Dust washes off leaves, especially near the roads, making foliage there green instead of white or grey. The mosses, lichens, etc., go bonkers on the trunks, intensifying greens over bark that was subdued in the dry season.

Photo below is from Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It has a campground. No electric, but does have showers.

[mdvaden]

This is Humboldt Redwoods State Park, along Mattole Rd., near Bull Creek Flats.

[S. Heisley]

You don't drop by the forum to show us pictures very often; but, I love it when you do. Thanks!

[48Rob]

For those who are enthusiastic about photography, a note that autumn and winter (wet season) is the ultimate time for getting photos in the Coast Redwoods.

Thank you for the tip.
Will you explain why, please?

Rob

[mdvaden]

For those who are enthusiastic about photography, a note that autumn and winter (wet season) is the ultimate time for getting photos in the Coast Redwoods.

Thank you for the tip.
Will you explain why, please?

Rob

The biggest reasons were mentioned in my first post already. But one other reason is that the rain wets the needles on the forest floor. That darkens them and adds more color in the same way wetting rock shows color.

One of the few aspects of photography that may be better in the summer in the redwoods is specifically this type of stream portraiture with people, where reflections are wanted. The water is a bit warmer and often moves very slow.

[mdvaden]

In this photo ... note the Salmonberry stems on the left side ... no leaves. Those leaves missing and the maple trees missing leaves a view to the evergreen foliage behind, which happens to be Myrtlewood on the upper part of the picture. In summer, this moss shrinks and fades quite a bit. So only in the wet season is this location this green. A summer shot looks flatter because the shrub foliage blocks the depth or dimension seen here.

That's what I meant in the OP...

In a nutshell ... in summer, what's behind this maple trunk can't be seen. In winter, it's all visible.

[SmokeyBob]

Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.

[48Rob]

Thank you!

Rob

[mdvaden]

Just took this photo, and although the 100% chance of rain the next day had not arrived yet, I realized this look will only be available right here during the first month or so of autumn. That's when the sun rises at this particular angle for the light, shadow and reflections. Just before 7am looking east up the Smith River, across from Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

[Rainier70]

Outstanding photography. Stunning!

[GuitarPhotog]

One nice thing (for photography) about the rainy season is that under overcast skies the dynamic range between deep shadows and sunny spots is reduced to a range that digital sensors can handle.

One on-going problem with shooting in the redwoods is the high contrast between sunny spots and shadows, which is often on the order of 7 or 8 stops, more than most digital sensors can handle. This situation results in either over-exposed highlights or underexposed shadows.

<Chas>

[mdvaden]

One nice thing (for photography) about the rainy season is that under overcast skies the dynamic range between deep shadows and sunny spots is reduced to a range that digital sensors can handle.

One on-going problem with shooting in the redwoods is the high contrast between sunny spots and shadows, which is often on the order of 7 or 8 stops, more than most digital sensors can handle. This situation results in either over-exposed highlights or underexposed shadows.

<Chas>

Something that it seems that a good hour of the day, and maybe a little LIghtroom can handle in about the same time as shooting film ... then darkroom.

One advantage about digital, is the sheer number of exposures that can be captured for a fraction the cost of film. For example, I'm thinking of how Nat Geo took about 10,000 digital images, from which about 20 were picked for the Coast Redwood cover story. The cool thing about the other 9,980 photos, is a lot of them are still really good stuff, useful for a myriad of future needs. The NatGeo folks started shooting early in the morning for a big part of their project.

I think it's pretty commendable for the photographers who have mastered film cameras, considering the average limitation of cost when it comes to film, developing, etc..

[mdvaden]

Dug a little deeper in the files from the last trip recently ... surprised I skipped over this one.

Just printed a 20 inch x 30 inch photo of this one two days ago. Going to add it to my big print collection.

This tree has the largest trunk diameter at 300 feet up of any tree known.

[mdvaden]

Okay ...

Rainy season ... but even the dry days make for some fun photos ... Jedediah Smith redwoods, Hy. 199 ...

[bc toys]

nice pics love the redwoods can't wait to get up there and see them in person.