Shooting local. It is something that I certainly do not do enough of. This past weekend I packed up my kit and drove to a local lake. I have been in a bit of a creative funk the last few months so I was not expecting much from a creative standpoint. I simply wanted to enjoy the quiet light for an hour and get back home before Kat woke up. Maybe I would even make an image or two If I was lucky enough to see something that resonated with me.

I arrived at 5:15am. The lake was still and silent. It was perfect. As I walked, I noticed transitioning colors in many of the leaves and trees. I started to get lost in the patterns and colors.

The image “Elegant Transition” was the first composition that caught my eye during my walk. I noticed the amazing blending of colors standing apart from the rest of the green environment. After a few minutes of studying, I decided to frame up a composition and wait for the wind to calm. The image is far from perfect, it’s slightly soft in certain areas. But that’s ok. For me, it was with this frame that I started to feel that excitement come back to me. Honestly, It felt different from the last few times I’ve been out making images.

My next composition was completely by chance. I spent some time enjoying the the patterns and colors within various leaves when I stumbled what I felt was a unique scene. As I looked closer at this set of leaves, one of them resembled the Hawaiian Islands. My mind started to drift back to fond memories of Hawaii with family and friends. From a technical standpoint, it is far from perfect but that’s ok. I am glad I was able to spend some time with it. Later, as I was walking back towards my car I actually tried to re-shoot the scene. For a moment I tried looking for it but I knew I was never going to find that leaf ever again. But it is better that way. It makes those moments that much more special. This image I entitled “Aloha”.

Fascinated by that little scene, I continued on looking deeper into the surrounding area. “Along the Equator” was a small scene I found within another small leaf. Something about the pattern really caught my eye. It reminded me of a magical planet’s equator and the continents on both the northern and southern hemispheres.

I continued on and two additional scenes caught my eye. The first was a scene of a tree’s layers in a variety of shades. Each unique, beautiful and and part of the same tree. “Shades of Beauty” mean a lot to me as it came into my life at a time where we as a society continue to fight for equality.

“A Hidden Message” was a scene that I walked past a few times. What first drew me in was the peaceful color palette and pattern. Upon closer inspection I noticed a mountain range hidden within the pattern. The mountains have always been a place of peace for me. It is where I’d go to recharge my batteries. Over the years I spent quite some time there snowboarding, hiking and now with photography. I miss the mountains and I can’t wait for Kat and I to get back up there. This hidden message was a reminder that it’s time to go back.

After about 2 hours, I had to head back home. For the first time in a long time I felt happy and connected with the images I made.

Normally, after a photography adventure I don’t begin the culling and editing process for a good week or two. But after this trip I was so excited to relive these moments in the post-processing phase.

Below are the images from the lake. They are some of my favorite images I have made in quite a long time. They really spoke to me. I can’t wait to go back outside soon. Thank you for reading. - Marco