Rainy Day at Gold Creek

On Saturday, I paid a visit to the Gold Creek trail, one of my favorite hikes. Weather conditions made this visit a bit challenging. Overcast lighting was helpful, but intermittent rain showers and frequent gusty breezes limited my photography. But with some patience, I was able to make a few compositions work.

First, something a little different: a lush forest view, looking down a ravine of sorts. In the foreground is a fallen tree long enough to span the ravine. The darker forest setting required a shutter speed of three seconds, so it took some patience to wait for an appropriate lull in the breeze. I'm not sure what to think of this composition, but I'm pleased that I saw this opportunity and was able to make it work. F/18.

Below, bunchberry flowers (Cornus canadensis) growing among deer fern (Struthiopteris spicant, or Blechnum spicant). These plants seem to grow near each other frequently. F/6.3.

Next, two compositions from the same vantage point, with different approaches to the depth of field. Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is blooming in the foreground. I'm not sure yet which I prefer. First, a wide depth of field (foreground and background both in focus), at F/18:

Now, a selective-focus approach. F/5.6.

Here's Gold Creek itself. F/18, 0.4 seconds.

Finally, a view of the Gold Creek valley where I turned around (just to the right of the frame is a washed-out section of trail). The waterways are running very high right now, and it appears that either a channel of Gold Creek or a tributary has jumped its banks and is forging a new course through this area. I don't know whether I'm thrilled by this composition, but it was a cool experience to stand there and see and hear all of the extra water thundering through the valley. F/18, 0.5 seconds.