Huntley Meadows

Appreciating the Boardwalk /  by Todd Henson

Most often I photograph nature and wildlife in natural settings without any evidence of humankind or our creations. This means I most often walk over boardwalks as a means to an end. And yet, boardwalks can be beautiful in their own right, as I hope to show.

Early one morning I was photographing into the sun on the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk in Woodbridge, Virginia, when a jogger ran into my frame. Instead of waiting for them to pass out of view I decided to create some images with them in the frame. I liked the idea of including a person on the boardwalk. Looking back I do wish I’d captured a moment when they were more separated from the tree in the background, but this was the best pose of those I captured.

An early morning jog on the boardwalk

A couple years later I was once again on the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, this time before sunrise during blue hour. It was a quiet, contemplative moment, one I’m happy to have experienced. This is actually almost the same view as that above, but with a very different look. For those of you who’ve been with me for a while you may recognize this photo from my post, Overcast Twilight on Neabsco Creek Boardwalk.

Boardwalk blues

This year I visited Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia, for the first time. One day I’ll have to write a post about it but for now I share this view of the boardwalk that leads to the island. As with the first image, I loved being able to include some people in this view. I enjoyed how the darker trees in the foreground create a window of sorts, leading us deeper into the scene where you can see some very early autumnal colors appearing on the trees.

To Government Island

Most recently, my father and I returned to Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia. It was once my favorite park, and I still very much enjoy it. But it’s gotten more and more crowded so I don’t travel there quite as often. On this day we happened to visit when some of the colors of autumn were present and I loved how the yellow leaves created this golden gateway at the end of the boardwalk. It just felt magical and I hope I’ve been able to convey even a little of what I felt on seeing it that day.

Enter the golden gateway

Next time you find yourself on one, take a few moments to appreciate the boardwalks we traverse.

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Two Views of Huntley Meadows Woodlands /  by Todd Henson

Most often when we visit Huntley Meadows I focus most of my attention on the wetlands and all the life that thrives there. But this particular morning in mid to late October I was drawn to the trees of the forest that surround the wetlands. It was early morning, the sun was above the horizon but not yet high enough to shine directly into the woods, so the scene had a very soft look, one I attempted to capture in the photograph below. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Soft Light of Morning

Some leaves had fallen, but there were many still on the trees, shrubs and vines, some changing color, though not a great many. I liked the soft even lighting that illuminated as far into the trees as we could see, and all that green intermixed with the brown lines of the trees. I have often found these sorts of busy scenes very difficult to photograph, and yet I found myself drawn to this one.

A couple hours later, after visiting the wetlands, we found ourselves once again in the woods on the way back to the car. The sun had risen and was now shining bright and contrasty light through the trees, lighting up the leaves and illuminating strips of grass, as seen below.

Woodland Highlights

I found this scene just as interesting as the one above, though they have a very different feel. The woods had a very different feel. The changing angle of the sun will do that, and it’s nice to be there to see it and turn it into a series of photographs. I hope you enjoy them.

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A Field of Webs /  by Todd Henson

A field of webs

Early in the morning when the sun peaks over the tops of the trees it just might illuminate the multitude of spider webs covering what appears to be every square inch of plant life in a field. It’s not common for me to face the sun when creating a photograph, but sometimes it’s useful, in this case backlighting all the fine strands of spider silk.

Just think about all those spiders, so very many, all around us. I realize not everyone is as excited about spiders as I am, but consider all the mosquitoes that will never have the opportunity to bite you because they first had a run-in with one of these spiders. 😊

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