NeiMengGu - The Outdoors
Something about being in the woods for about a week reminded me of growing up in the woods of Wisconsin. While they weren't exactly the same trees I grew up around, they looked very similar to my memories. I felt so at peace when I could just walk in the woods and take in the beautiful layers of trees. The shadows were amazing to me as well as catching those rays of light when the moment was right. Mornings & evenings were the best time but some of the days had these beautiful clouds that caught my eye.
Cue X-Files theme song?
I snapped this shot after taking a long hike through the woods. I wish I could say I enjoyed the hike, but the big flies that could bite through my pants made the hike less than pleasant. Really glad that later on I was able to just drive with the group to the river instead of trying to hike to it. It was definitely not as close as I was told.
I took this shot as the smoke from the camp fires drifted through the the camp grounds. I just loved the contrast of green & various barks here. The layers of color & shadows continued to remind me of the woods of Wisconsin. I guess you can’t take the country out of the boy, not matter how many decades it has been since he lived there.
Speaking of memories, I remember many days as a kid when I’d jump over fallen trees like I was some Olympic athlete. Though I feel like I would not have noticed these patches of light in the forrest. Couldn’t see the forrest for the trees?
I absolutely loved finding this rim light on just a few trees in the forrest. Something about the tiny bit of light just made the shot for me. Often during dinner, I’d be looking at the light on the trees while eating. I’d gage how much I could eat before I could pick up my camera and snap some shots. Fortunately I’m a quick eater!
A few days before I took this shot, we had come here to swim in the cold river. I didn’t bring my camera that time because I didn’t want to have to worry about it while I went swimming. I knew that if we came back, I’d want to get a few shots around here. Thankfully, part of the camping trip was to come here and try to trap fish in the river. So, while the kids were doing that school project, I decided to take some long exposures of this river. Though, I have to say it’s more of a creek to me.
As I was taking in the view the other day, I knew I wanted to try and capture this ridge and I needed to bring my long lens. I always find trees on a ridge to be fascinating. They speak to me of resilience. What do you think?
This area in the river kept grabbing my attention. It made me wonder if it used to be a dock that had broken apart. I loved how the water moved around it at different speeds. Great spot to take some long exposures to try and capture that different feel. Almost like layers in the water.
Continuing that theme of layers, I loved it when I was editing this image that I could see under the water at certain points. Usually in a long exposure, the water is almost solid movement and doesn’t let me see much underneath it. One of the many reasons I love taking long exposures. You almost don’t know what you’re gonna get till its done processing!
More than any shot on this trip, this one reminds me of growing up in Wisconsin. We used to go fishing in this creek by the Fire Department Station my dad volunteered at and this view could have been from that area of Wisconsin. I should go back there some day.
I think living in Beijing for years has made me appreciate clean air and nature. I know that the air & environment has drastically improved over the years. However, I hope that I never lose my appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors.
One last one for the nostalgia folder. This fence reminded me of my grandparents’ farm in Wisconsin. I know that they never had a fence like this but something about it made me think of that farm.
If you would like to support my photography, you can do so in a few ways. Share this post on social media, email me a review of my work, order a print off of my store, or support me on Patreon. Thank you so much for any support you decide to give!