Oakleaf in the Morning Dew

Sometimes the photograph you weren't looking for becomes one of the ones you're happiest to find.

It was early morning in Bankhead National Forest, and I had already gotten what I'd come for. I'd hiked in before sunrise to photograph Kinlock Falls, and by the time I started back toward the truck, I had images of the falls that I was happy with.

My camera was still hanging around my neck as I walked out.

Along the trail, I had noticed several oakleaf hydrangeas growing farther back in the woods. Then I came across this one right beside the trail. The morning dew was still clinging to the blooms, and the sun hadn't fully broken through the trees yet. The light was soft and gentle—just enough to bring out the texture and droplets without overpowering the scene.

I'd tried making a similar photograph before with mountain laurel along the DeSoto Falls Overlook Trail in Mentone. I liked the idea, but those photographs never quite turned out the way I'd envisioned them.

This time, it did.

I stopped, raised the camera, and made the photograph. When I checked the back of the camera and saw that everything looked sharp, I had what I can only describe as that quiet little yes.

Any photographer knows the feeling. You don't need to celebrate or say anything. You just know you did something right.

What makes me smile about Oakleaf in the Morning Dew is that I wasn't looking for it. As far as I was concerned, the morning's photography was finished. I was simply walking back to the truck when one last photograph presented itself.

Bankhead has a way of doing that.

It's often called the land of a thousand waterfalls, and sometimes it feels like most of them are determined to stay hidden. I've spent plenty of time wandering those woods looking for waterfalls I couldn't find—including one I discovered once, promised myself I'd return to photograph, and haven't been able to find again.

But that's part of what keeps drawing me back.

Sometimes you find the waterfall.

Sometimes you don't.

And sometimes, while you're looking for something else entirely, you find a dew-covered oakleaf hydrangea beside the trail in the soft morning light.

Photography gives me a reason to get away from the cities, the schedules, and the busyness of everyday life. Out there, even if only for a little while, everything gets quieter.

That's what I hope someone feels when they look at Oakleaf in the Morning Dew.

A chance to slow down.

A chance to step away.

A little peace.

Technical Specs

Camera: Sony A7 IV
Lens: Sony 28–70mm
Focal Length: 68mm
Shutter Speed: 1/20 sec
Aperture: f/9
ISO: 200

“Oakleaf in the Morning Dew” is available in my Floral Collection. You can view it and the rest of my floral fine art prints here:

The Floral Collection