Part 5 – Hoh Rainforest – Olympic National Park

On the day that Shelley and I made it to the Hoh Rainforest, it lived up to its name. The trees were glistening from the on-and-off showers. Rain gear was a must for our excursion into the forest. The best tip that I have for photographing in the rain is to carry a large microfiber towel with you to cover your camera gear. If it had been raining harder. Then I would have pulled out the rain sleeves for both Shelley’s and my cameras. Luckily we did not need that on this day.

The Old Man of Hoh – Olympic National Park

The first composition that I came upon that day was this older tree that was covered with moss and lichen. Its branches were drooping down toward the ground. As I moved in close on my tripod and framed up my composition for what I now call the Old Man of Hoh. I created this photograph by taking multiple exposures and blending them together in a way that gives the full dynamic range of the seen that was in front of me on that day.

Roots – Hoh Rainforest

I was presented with yet another composition that tells the story of the forest and how it is always renewing life from the decaying trees that have fallen over the years, within feet of the Old Man of Hoh.

Shelley and Craig at the Hoh Rainforest

While walking through the Hoh Rainforest Shelley and I found this tree forming an archway over the footpath. It made for a perfect location for a photograph of Shelley and me, the kind that helps to aid the memory of the trip as time wears it away.

Hoh Rainforest #1 – Olympic National Park

This composition of a decaying fallen tree gives a sense of the depth of the forest. I achieved this photograph with a single image in the field, and I finished it off back at the computer to pull out the details from the shadows. I shot this one at F11 with a circular polarizer on the lens, this helps to reduce the reflections from the leaves in the foreground.

In all honesty, I could have spent days or maybe even weeks photographing in the Hoh Rainforest. In the future, this location and the rest of Olympic National Park may have to be a trip unto itself.