Klamath

My plan for today was to explore the Redwood National and State Parks .  When I saw that rain was predicted all day, I knew it would be a challenge. Redwood forests are anyway difficult photographic subjects. This may seem counter-intuitive as they are so majestic and magical. However, capturing those qualities on pixels can be challenging for a variety of reasons. The trees are so tall that it is not usually possible to get the entire tree in a frame; and even if you do, unless you are using a rectilinear lens, they are distorted. As well, the light is either dappled (if the day is sunny) or the forest is very dark (like today in the rain). And it is a visually complex environment; making sense of it to tell a story requires thought, experimentation and luck. And today, I was fighting the raindrops as well.

I decided against any of the longer hikes as it was just too wet. I drove the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway, stopping a few times for short forays into the forest on foot. I then drove north to the Grove of the Titans, where the rain had lessoned sufficiently to warrant a longer hike. I ended the day back on the shore playing with waves and rocks.

In the end, I was dissatisfied with the few images I captured. It is difficult to know if it was the situation, or that I am mentally and physically exhausted, or a combination of both.

Tomorrow I drive south to San Francisco, where I will spend a couple of days before dropping the car at home before heading to Hawaii for my last week. S.F. also has developed a reputation for auto break-ins, so I hope my hotel has better security that the one in Portland. I certainly won’t be driving it around the city in any event.