The early springtime forest has countless wonders to share with those willing to look. Quiet and understated, the ephemeral flowers and mushrooms revel in a few weeks of life and lust before retiring for another year. By the time the tulip poplars are fully leafed out, most of these quiet beauties will have faded almost entirely.
Here are a few images from Virginia’s springtime forests:
From backyards to wilderness areas, I write about how, why and where modern life interacts with the natural world. My assignments span a variety of issues, subjects and places: clouded leopard conservation in Thailand, climate change in American forests and mushroom foraging in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My work appears in magazines, websites and museum exhibits.
Ooo. I like the light in the mushroom photo. And the leaf. It really shows how spring bursts through the old foliage. Nice shot.
Thanks, Dominick. I spent a good five minutes lying in dirt and leaves to get this shot, playing with angles and such. I’m a big fan of trying for unusual perspectives in my photos. You get to see the world from a whole different point of view.