On hot summer days one of the cooler spots is found within deep forest shade, down by the creek. This particular shot is from under the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, about which I posted a few days ago.
To be honest it wasn’t that cool, unless perhaps one entered the water — I didn’t. The high humidity makes a sauna out of even the deepest shade these days.
There you had to go and spoil the illusion. :) I would have sworn that this was a blissfully cool refuge. Not really. I grew up in central Texas. I know about hot, humid summer days. Not all the green the world will make it cool.
Still, this is a gorgeous photo and it makes me feel cool, peaceful, and totally satisfied. The bird catapults this into a very special category.
Anita, sometimes it’s even worse when it “looks” like it should be cool but there’s sweat running down your back and your having to remember to draw each breath of heavy air. This place wasn’t to that level…but it was hot. Thanks! :-)
Note: The “Bird” is an optical illusion — the body is a leaf on the bank and the wing is a rock in the creek. ;-)
The weather may be hot but your image is cool!
Hey Steve, thanks!
Even if there is no escaping the heat, this is a scene worth capturing. To me it suggest more of the lush tropics than anything else.
Ken, i didn’t see the tropics in it but there was bit of that feeling in the air. Thanks! :-)
From trekking up and down lots and lots of creeks, this image doesn’t look at all “cool” to me. I can feel the heat just looking at it. Maybe better, I think, if you hadn’t included the very bright, very white “hot spot” in the upper left! I know I shouldn’t editorialize about other people’s images, but white and green just don’t mix well, I think.
Seriously, a very difficult scene to photograph. Just too much contrast in this kind of situation.
Paul, Thanks, I know the “hot spot” you’re speaking of — bright sun shining through thin leaves at the top of the trees. I went back and double checked the histogram for this image and there’s nothing that even approaches blown out whites or solid blacks. I didn’t have my Nikon D700 with me when i shot this, I was using an Olympus E-P2. I believe the D700 would have done a better job with this shot or at least I would have done a better job using the D700. But as you said it’s a difficult scene from almost white to very near black.
I appreciate the honest feedback. :-)
Hi Earl,
I hope you’ve got an air conditioner tucked away somewhere, or central air…
Nice image.
Eric, definitely central air…and I just heard our local power company posted record profits. :-(
That is a beautiful photograph – I love how the leaves catch the beautiful sunlight and the play with the reflection in the creek are absolutely stunning. I wish I would be there, I would immediately take off my shoes and put my feet into the cooling water. We are having an incredibly hot summers day here as well. I hope yo found some nice shade today.
Thanks, Martina. The water would be cool…but just barely. Summers are getting warmer it seems…I don’t hear anyone this year arguing against Global Warming.
I like this, my friend! It even feels hot.
The humidity…it was one of those days you could cut the air with a knife. :-)