Paul Orzel photography

April is here. Some color is beginning to dot the landscape in stark contrast to the brown leaves and sticks. I awoke early to visit a magical place where great numbers of daffodils live. This morning brings promise of a clear sky and golden sunrise. 

This place, which I have visited over many years, is comprised of a loop path surrounded by woods. It is on higher ground with a number of rushing creeks found below on 3 sides, about 70 to 100’ down. Someday I will go down to those creeks and waterfalls and rivulets to explore. Thus far I have not. The grade is steep and must be taken with great care. 

Beginning my visit, at not too great a distance from the trailhead I was greeted by the early bloomers… those who could not contain themselves. Many of their friends are still waiting. I see their green shoots everywhere, with bulbus tops waiting a little longer before bursting into hues of yellow & gold so beautiful their display pays homage to the sun which warms them.

Following this joyous greeting, I continued along the path and noticed one, lone daffodil facing away. I slowly walked near it, knelt down and asked “Why so bashful? Show your beauty to those passing by.” But she just continued to stare through the trees. “Ah, I understand. Dreaming of the lands beyond. I often do so myself.” I returned to the path and sauntered on, creeping to the edge of this plateau to gaze upon the creeks every now and then.

By and by I came upon three close flowers, so beautiful and gay they seemed to be chatting excitedly amongst each other as they watched the sun rise. I stopped here to take a photo, which I think delighted them. Here I must be careful of where I set my tripod, where I kneel, and where I place my bag so as not to squash any young shoots. I like my Berlebach tripod for so many things, but it struggles with ground level work due to its leg angle design. I ordered a newer version 4 months ago which has additional angle stops but alas, it has not arrived yet. No matter. I’ve learned how to work with it. After carefully placing the tripod legs on safe ground, I chose my Schneider Makro Symmar 120mm lens, based on my camera’s distance to the flowers. It was a good choice and let me frame them as I envisioned. The soft color of Astia completes the composition.

Moving on I followed the winding path as the sun continued to rise and began to shine through the trees with soft intensity. I found another group of flowers in full bloom. One large fellow beckoned me to photograph him. I could not get very close due to the large numbers of shoots in front  and so chose my Pentax 150mm 645 lens to achieve more reach. The framing didn’t please me at first. After rethinking the composition, I choose some other flowers just beyond. By carefully juxtaposing the taller flower against a bright area in the background I was able to obtain a glowing impressionist appearance. This was shaping up nicely! I continued to work the gears of my tripod head as well as the rise and shift of the Actus one small movement at a time. Slowly & carefully, until it all looked perfect. Bumping up my exposure a bit brightened the colors and further accentuated the pastel appearance of the Astia color pallet. After waiting patiently for the wind to stop and the flowers to remain still, I tripped the shutter. “Thanks fellas!” I said appreciatively. 

The final image would be a crop to the 1:2 aspect ratio. My favorite aspect ratio is 4:5 (coming from my roots as a 4×5 photographer), but I will sometimes use 1:1 (square), 1:2, or 1:3 ratios to achieve the result I desire.

As I neared the end of my morning sojourn I tried hard to focus on the sound of a little waterfall in the creek below to hear it over the noise of a nearby highway. Just then a woodpecker decided he too must raise some clamor to drown out the unnatural noises of the road. I stopped among a small stand of hemlocks and peered down the gully to watch the winding creek, the small waterfall I had been listening to, and the sun behind them which caused the water to glisten with a heavenly light. I stayed in that spot, leaning against one of the hemlocks for some time before my numb fingers and nose reminded me it was time to move one. I bade a hearty “farewell” as I stepped off the path near the trailhead and crossed the threshold to civilization from this fantasy land. 

I have my mind set that tomorrow morning I will visit another one of my favorite places for early spring. And I may be returning here before too long.