In the forest, time feels primordial

When I enter a forest, especially a rain forest, everything slows down - my heart, the footsteps, and my mind. Time stands still. I breathe in the smell of damp, mossy earth; I listen to the trees rustling in a soft breeze; I feel the coolness around me. It’s a very meditative place for me, and I love to photograph in it, too.

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is the Japanese practice of immersing yourself in nature to lower stress and boost well-being. Far from a strenuous hike, it is a sensory meditation where you walk slowly among the trees, taking in the forest atmosphere using all five senses.

I have done this many times, without my camera, although I must admit that sometimes still carry it with me. I can’t resist. If I see something magical, I want to make that moment stay! Yet I don’t always start out with the idea that I will photograph. I’m just ready if something speaks to me.

For me, forests represent an oasis for life. Much is nurtured here - birds, small and large animals make it their home, all sorts of plants and even flowers grow inside the protection of a forest. In the Tongass rain forest in Alaska, I discovered this Shy Maiden blooming. At only 3 inches tall, it would have been easy to walk right past it, but I wasn’t walking. I was on my knees looking closely at all the mosses, and plants, when I spotted this beauty.

I wasn’t in a rainforest for this one, but a wet, mixed hardwood and oak forest in northern California. Walking with eyes wide open, I spotted what I thought was steam coming off the wet branch. That was pretty cool to see! I quickly made the photograph, and upon closer inspection, discovered it was lichen spores being released! That was very cool indeed.

Jed and I have been in the rain forest region of Olympic National forest and park for a few days now, and I’ve taken several walks. On one of them, though, I didn’t get very far, because it was so beautiful. Two plus days of rain showers left everything saturated, and the forest was glowing. How could I not photograph that?

Psychologically, green is a color that expresses renewal, growth, vitality, and harmony. Ironically, it can also represent greed, and envy, but we’ll stay with the positive aspects as they outweigh the negative. Healthcare institutions, and healing centers make use of shades of green to create a calm, soothing and neutral space.

That being said, not all green photos would do well there! This image with moss hanging could be scary to some people. Ah well. It wasn’t scary to me. In fact it was soothing.

I felt very lucky to have this opportunity to walk in the forest while it was all freshly wet. Now, 2 days later, with temps in the mid-80s here, that magic is missing. It’s still lovely, in the shade of fresh green maples and moss-covered conifers, but I am hoping for a bit more rain to come again.

I hope you are not ‘green’ with envy from this post! If you have a forest or woods near you, try to make time for a walk in it. If not, find some greenery in an urban park - even that will give you a healthy jolt of mental well-being!

Have a great week ahead!

P.S. Coming soon for paid subscribers: A Tutorial Series on Visual Design in nature photographs