The forest in summertime is fantastic for our mental health and wellbeing. Getting into nature can be hugely beneficial for our mood and general health. The summer forest is full of life and thick in foliage.
But sometimes when the forest is in full bloom, we can often miss the detail and we can miss out on a completely different atmosphere.
During the winter months and early spring, forests can have an eerie, almost ghostlike look. Shapes and bare branches twist and turn into curious forms and the stillness adds to the eeriness.
Winter is a great time for the photographer to get into the forest to look for patterns and structures that might not be obvious during the summer months. The lack of foliage results in a wonderful opportunity to look for unusual shapes and to look for life on the forest floor. The dampness of the winter months attracts fungi and mushrooms, which are great for photography.
I sometimes add characters into my fine art and conceptual photography, to enhance the storytelling. In this shot, I have tried to capture the winter feel to the forest, and by adding Melly into the image perhaps the darker side of the forest comes through.
As always in my images, I try to engage and challenge the viewer. Mushrooms hopefully entices the viewer to think about the darker, winter forest, in contrast to the vibrant and cheerful summer forest.
I hope the video that I have produced helps to build up to the final image.
NGT Photography 