A Walk Through the Woods

When was the last time you took a walk through the woods?

Have you looked up at the sky recently and watched as a cloud morphed from a fearsome dragon into a smiling turtle?

Do you remember how the breeze sounds as it tickles the leaves of an aspen tree?

Can you recall how it feels to close your eyes and inhale the scent of evergreen trees while you brush your fingertips over the tall grass?

See The Forest for the Trees

I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places in the entire country, if not the world. I get to create fantasy photos in some truly stunning places. Sometimes, though, I get in my car at the end of a photo session and realize that I got so caught up taking photos, I forgot to soak in my surroundings.

So, when Kinsey, Laura and I stumbled across this stunning field with lush green grass, bright red poppies and some of the most breathtaking golden hour lighting, I made myself take a second. Closing my eyes, I took in a lungful of warm summer air and held onto it for a few seconds. I reminded myself to take a photo on my phone of the light flare bursting through the trees. My fingers brushed over a buttery soft poppy petal and I marveled at the almost neon shade of orangey red.

Days after the photo session was over, and I was looking through the images on my computer, I found that my stroll through the woods was still so clear in my mind. I could still taste the evening summer air. Those tendrils of sunlight coming through the trees still warmed my face. The feel of the poppy petal lingered on my fingertips. Taking those few moments to see the forest for the trees, to not get completely lost in my photographer brain, made creating these photos even more special for me. I could literally feel them, rather than just seeing them.

Escape Into Nature

On a perfect summer’s eve, a beautiful princess dared to escape the confines of the high castle walls. She craved the embrace of nature’s untamed beauty so she walked through the woods until she found a sprawling field. Colorful wildflowers dotted the woodland field and the fragrant grass danced beneath her feet. In the warmth of the sun’s caress, the weight of courtly obligations melted like molten evening light as it disappears beyond the horizon.

With each graceful twirl, the forest seemed to come alive, embracing her with the symphony of the woodlands. The whistles of birds drowned out the ceaseless murmur of courtier’s voices. As a gentle breeze whispered through her lavender tresses, a playful smile tugged at her lips, and her worries seemed to evaporate into the ether. She wondered how long it would take the palace to notice she was gone if she stayed long enough to see how the poppies looked in the moonlight…