Durbin Creek 6 – Late Spring

Jungle Cruise – Durbin Creek

This is my 6th visit to Durbin Creek. It’s an easy choice, close to the house and a convenient launch. Watch the tides here as low water makes navigation very difficult in some areas. The creek is very long and wonderfully wild. As I’ve complained in the past, the land clearing for the new housing is really disturbing, as they are getting very close to the creek. I hope that the residents are not going to have direct creek access, as there are no docks or openings until the development on Bishop Estates Rd.

Reflected Greens – Durbin Creek

The water was low this morning but the cloudy conditions made for a great outing. The leaves are back on the trees but not at their full density, still a lot of growing left to do. The morning was calm and it seemed like the intensity of the reflections was greater than normal. Maybe because the new foliage is creating a new visual experience for me. Since my year of exploration is almost complete, I am still experiencing views that are new and in a few weeks the cycle will be repeating. Every excursion is like going to a new place, as the seasonal transformations keep the views fresh. I’m wondering if I will grow tired of these places, if the repetition will make a place less interesting. There are so many other variables that influence an image, the most important of which is my own state of mind. I don’t think i will run out of fresh material to photograph, if so, I have become a boring person!

Almost Summer – Durbin Creek

One variable that I am highly dependent on is the light. Very rarely do I experience the “perfect” light for any length of time. Usually the sun comes up and ends my day for shooting. So as I travel further from the launch point, there is a less likelihood of me having the best light for what I want. As the summer approaches, sunny mornings are the norm. So on those days were there is an extended time of overcast conditions, I am happy. But I haven’t had that in the summer, when the clouds roll in so does the rain.

Green Soup – Durbin Creek

Today I was able to capture several overall “creekscapes” that I felt expressed the “greenness” of the landscape. Green is a highly evocative color, especially in the context of nature photography. Green symbolizes nature and is the color of energy producing chlorophyll in the leaves of all plants, surrounding us with oxygen, and providing a cool and calming blanket over us. To represent the green color of what I see, it is necessary to set the color temperature and tint of the image using software. Usually it is not until one makes a print can the right green be adjusted for. This is often an iterative process and is what I like about a photograph that represents feelings rather than documenting actual conditions. I don’t see any problem in making small adjustments “to taste,” as my photographs are my personal interpretations of a scene.