
Nikon Z8 with PC Nikkor 19mm f/4E ED at 1/8 sec, f/13, ISO 64.
As mentioned last week, my intent is to wrap up the Vancouver Island forests this week and then move on to a couple beaches we visited. This week’s post is about a campground we visited along the San Juan River. As usual for this Vancouver trip, there was a lot to photograph and it took a little effort to whittle it down to my usual six to share.
The image above is actually the bottom half of a vertical image. The tree is absolutely massive, and even the whole uncropped image only shows the bottom two-thirds of it. The only reason I got that much in the frame was from shifting my 19mm tilt-shift lens as far up as it would go. I do like it uncropped, but doubt anyone would notice the little swingโhidden in the dappled lightโwhich is what gives it scale. The uncropped image is probably one that needs to be printed large or not at all.

Nikon Z8 with AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED at 15mm, 1/30 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
I had forgotten that the image above was taken with my fisheye until I went to add the caption. I guess that means it was well-executed from the standpoint that it doesn’t look like a fisheye image. But up close like this with no obvious straight lines, it works well.
This next image of the pink fawn lilies was also a fisheye. As with the image above, I often find that the fisheye can work very well up close. There’s a lot to like about this image: the complementary magenta-and-green colors, the nested curves of the stems, the texture of the flower petals, and the dramatic look of the dappled light. I do wish that the stem of the flower in the background was curving to the left rather than straight away, but it wasn’t. I also like the shriveled flower in the bottom right for the touch of contrast it brings when compared to the main subject.

Nikon Z8 with AF-S Fisheye Nikkor 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED at 15mm, 1/125 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
I mentioned that this campground was by a river, and it is featured in these next two images. I had a lot of images of the river, but decided to feature two abstracts. This first one is actually focused on the gravel riverbed below the water and the reflecting tree trunks and green foliage really just provide an mottled overlay to this basic texture. I think the result is peaceful and fun to look at:

Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 96mm, 1/15 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
This next image has a very different feel because the camera is focused on the trees that are reflecting off the water. The same gravel riverbed is not evident at all; instead, the ripples on the surface distort and replicate the white tree trunks and branches, but they are relatively sharp. I enjoy this image, too, but it is definitely not peaceful. Perhaps it should come with a seizure warning:

Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 71 mm, 1/30 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
I am very happy with with both of those reflection abstracts and wish I had taken a lot more. Even repeated exposures taken without moving the tripod give very different results because the water keeps moving. Having more choices would have let me make a nice triptych. Another lesson learned!
When visiting the campground, we parked a short distance up a road and walked down. This nice dense backlit forest lined a long stretch of the road. These trees are closely spaced with thin branches, so the trunks make a strongโif somewhat messyโvertical pattern that I find visually appealing. For whatever reason, there was a huge pile of old wood in front of this particular section. (My suspicion is that the nearby bridge had been decked with these heavy timbers and they had been replaced with fresh ones a few years ago.) I really liked the contrast between the natural forest and the man-made timbers. I also think there is some irony to the image: the trees are irregular but make an orderly pattern whereas the timbers are very regular but completely jumbled:

Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 53mm, 1/15 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
After 29 years in southern Arizona I can’t look at a mess like that without thinking that it must be absolutely infested with rattlesnakes. But not on Vancouver Island. I still wouldn’t climb on this pile, though, unless you are confident that you are up to date on your tetanus shotsโrusty spikes abound!
Thank you for spending some time with this week’s post. As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the images I share. As promised, next week I will turn my attention to the seashore.