Saturday, December 22, 2018

The Saturday Snapshot #20

 


     Reader Coey (her "nom de blog"—"a
 lady's name should only appear in the newspaper three times, you know" she explains)  sent a trio of arresting photos, taken earlier this month in Olympic National Park in Washington State: her timing was good; much of the park is closed now, due to storm damage. 
     She writes:
     It's a spectacularly beautiful place, and we were fortunate enough to be there when the temperature and sunlight were such that, in some places, the deep greens were set off by a dusting of snow...I'd add that Olympic National Park is well worth a visit. I knew next to nothing about it before we went on a trip to Seattle, and the diversity of natural beauty there is something to see. There are three distinct ecosystems, so something for everyone!
    So have you looked at the photo? Good.
     Now look at it again, closer. I chose this one of the Hoh Rainforest's Hall of Mosses because of the people in it. You might not see them at first glance—I didn't. But look harder—there are two, and noticing them completely changes the scale of the photograph. And reminds us that sometimes we have to put in a little effort to perceive the people involved in any situation, because we don't expect them, or they blend in too well to their background. Often they're there, if only we look hard enough. 

    Thanks Coey for sharing this. EGD welcomes submissions for The Saturday Snapshot, even though there is a backlog, and appreciates the patience from those who have already offered photos. I'm working my way toward them.





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9 comments:

  1. I didn't notice the two humans until I figured out that what looked to me to be a large snake or Komodo Dragon in the bottom left of the photo was probably the remnant of a dead tree. As mentioned, seeing the people changed the scale such that it ruled out the snake/dragon in favor of a tree. I'm constantly amazed at how my imagination or expectation fills in what I see, especially on my early morning walks. Surely I would be the worst eye witness ever.

    john

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  2. Beautiful photo, Coey!
    It might seem strange, but I recognized the scene before I read the description. I took a photo six years ago of the same spot on the trail. As soon as I saw the leaning, moss covered trees and the trail, I knew exactly where you were.

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    1. Thank you, Tony. I'm not surprised you recognized that other-worldly place. I've traveled a decent amount and never seen its like.

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  3. Brings to mind the imaginary prisons of Giovanni Batista Piranese, masterful etchings of fantastical structures and machines rendered the more gigantic- seeming by the placement of tiny human figures in strategic locations.

    Tom

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  4. That's a fantastic photo, Coey! Beautiful. It looks like a fairy forest, perfect for A Midsummer Night's Dream.

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  5. I did notice the people, but I was more interested in what was covering the trees. I lived in the Southeast for a couple of years, so it looked to me like the Spanish moss you see down there, and I thought it was a rare snow scene in southern Georgia, or someplace nearby. Couldn't be more off-target and still be in the Lower 48.

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  6. An awesome place. Not many like it in this country.

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  7. Didn't notice the people until a second good look. Without the people to give it scale it looks much different. Don't know if you meant to capture the people or not, but I think it's a good thing you did.

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    Replies
    1. I mentioned to Neil that I didn't know them but took the picture while they were still there for that very reason.

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