A Walk In The Woods

My absolute favorite place to go for anything is Tobico Marsh in Bay City Michigan. I go there to cry, laugh, read, to get away from my thoughts, and for photo inspiration! There are trails, towers, boat launches, and plenty of marshes. It's beautiful at any time of the year, but my favorite time to be there is during the fall season. When you first get on the trail, the trees tower over you and sprinkle down vibrant color leaves. The leaves blanket the ground in a gorgeous picturesque scene. Another thing that you might see there is the wildlife! I've seen snakes, white tailed deer, black and grey squirrels, woodpeckers, turtles, and many birds. And for some reason, they aren't afraid of people. One time when I was far along on the trail, I came within about 20 feet from two white tailed deer, and of course I didn't have my camera with me. They simply stood there and watched me, not moving a muscle. I took a picture with photo memory, and continued to walk. That's when they casually strolled off the trail and back into the woods. I'll never forget that moment.

I get inspired by how certain things in nature can be naturally placed so beautifully. I always think, how did this get here?! Like when one really big tree falls and you can see its pretty roots that were hidden underneath the forest floor, or when little trees fall on top of each other.

These are a couple of leaves that decided to change color before any one else, and resulted in standing out between the pine and green leaves. I adore this photo because the sun is shining through to where you can make out the actual veins of the leaf.  I took this going through the woods by myself, which is what I usually do. 

Usually I walk the woods alone, but when I do bring someone, I never can resist using them as a model. Even though there is a green stalk standing clear in the middle of his face, I still like the way there are shadows on his face and the colors of the background. 

 

I created this conceptual piece to describe the process of being insecure yet trying to branching out of the insecurities. The body language is modest and pulled in, yet her surroundings are flourishing. It was similar to my own process of wanting to branch out, but still being unsure.