The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost
Woods (and forests) are indeed lovely. But their very darkness and deepness can make them hard to do justice to as a photographer. One tree can merge into another, and another, and … It’s hard for the eye to find a single point of interest on which to settle and focus.
I’m happier photographing single trees I think, as I did in a previous Monochrome Madness post last year. But Leanne wants woods this week and woods she shall have!
I planned originally to concentrate only on the redwood forests we visited in California last year. But I found too few decent general photos of the landscapes there. Most, as I might have predicted, were of individual trees. So I cast my net wider in my archives to find a selection from various places around the world, plus some closer to home.
But we will start, as originally intended, in California.
View from the Redwood Overlook, Sequoia National Park, California
Our cabin in the woods, Grant Grove, Sequoia National Park, California
Gould Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California
Gould Grove, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California
[spot my husband crouched by the fallen tree for scale]
Sunset in Grant Grove, Sequoia National Park, California
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington State
[my feature photo was also taken here]
Selvatura, Costa Rica
Cloud forest near Monteverde, Costa Rica
Cloud forest near Monteverde, Costa Rica
Montaigne D’ambre National Park, Madagascar
Following our guide in Analamazaotra, Madagascar
Ruislip Woods in winter, north west London
[near my childhood home]
The New Forest, Hampshire, England
Kielder Forest, Northumberland, England
A Sussex woodland in the spring
50 Comments
SoyBend
Beautifully portrayed in black and white, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you again Siobhan 😊
Annie Berger
Great collection of woods’ photos, Sarah. I was taken by the ones in Costa Rica as we haven’t made it there yet. Perhaps later this year?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Annie 🙂 I think you two would enjoy Costa Rica, let me know if you do decide to go!
Annie Berger
Thanks, we will! I’m sure you’d have suggestions for us which would be so useful.
Jane Lurie
Stunning, fabulous monochromes, Sarah. They work beautifully in black and white. The Redwoods can be challenging to photograph and your shots are terrific. And the Hoh Rainforest is splendid in this series! All thoughtfully shot and edited.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Jane 😊 I struggled a bit with these so I really appreciate your feedback. Both the redwood forests and the Hoh were such amazing paces to visit!
rkrontheroad
I too prefer individual trees or just a few, the shapes speak to me. Sequoia and Redwoods are amazing, aren’t they? Great photo with your husband.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ruth – I needed someone to show the scale of these majestic trees and he was happy to oblige – several times!
equinoxio21
What a lovely cabin. American National parks are very well equipped. (Or were, under the budget cuts of the current fools)
Sarah Wilkie
We love visiting and staying in the US national parks – I just hope they survive the current ‘challenges’ and emerge relatively unscathed.
equinoxio21
I’m not sure they can, short-term. With budget and personnel cuts, they’re gonna have to shut down many places. The problem is that without the minimal cleanup and occasional coat of paint, many of those cabins will fall in disrepair in 4 years. Then it will take a lot of money to “emerge”… Some bloggers are trying to support the parks, but it would take a lot of money to just maintain them… One of the many sad consequences of the current folly.
Sarah Wilkie
🥺🥺
equinoxio21
Yes… Sorry. And that applies to so many areas… One of my daughters is an MD, doing lots of research, international research on infectology, AIDS, cancer… She says American research is basically stopped right now. Not to mention cutting funds to Harvard. As Stephen Pinker just said, and I quote: “Cutting funds to Harvard is cutting funds to research on Alzheimer, cancer, Parkinson, etc…”
navasolanature
Beautifully dramatic in b/w.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m glad you found them so 😊
Amy
What a gallery of trees in black and white. The first one, wow!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Amy 😊
thehungrytravellers.blog
Not always a fan of b/w as you know, but actually I think this collection is rather stunning. I think it’s the subtle changes in shades which makes them so pleasing, perhaps highlighting shade differences which aren’t quite so obvious in green. Is that possible?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Phil, that does sound a reasonable description of the monochrome effect 😀
grandmisadventures
Beautiful pictures- where are my hiking shoes, I need to go get lost in the forest for a little while 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Meg 😀 You would love to walk in some of these places for sure!
Monkey's Tale
Forests can be magical places. I love the picture in Hampshire, where the smallest tree catches the sun. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Maggie, that’s a favourite of mine 😊
Alli Templeton
These look stunning, Sarah, and they work really well in mono. Lovely to see Kielder, as always, and the view into the springtime Sussex woodland is almost magical. It’s always a pleasure to see pictures of woodlands and trees, so thanks for making me smile. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
I’m so glad you like them Alli, thank you 😊
Heyjude
I think woods are better in colour, but your cabin in the woods is excellent in B&W
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Jude – you and Anabel are in agreement on that and I think you have a point!
Rose
Wow Sarah these are epic movie quality photos, they could lend themselves to such fantastic stories.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Rose 😊 I wonder what stories the ancient trees could tell us?!
kzmcb
They’re all beautiful, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
I like the one with your cabin best. The cabin adds interest to the monochrome – the rest, I just want to see the green!
Sarah Wilkie
I do see what you mean Anabel – I think individual treeswork better in monochrome than do whole woods, they stand out more.
Egídio
I loved seeing those redwoods. Thanks also for pointing out your husband by the fallen tree. Those are enormous trees. That cabin looked so inviting. Wonderful gallery! I’m trying to select my photos for the challenge, but it’s always so hard to pick just a few.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Egidio 😀 That cabin was simple but cozy, we spent a lovely couple of nights there!
Anne Sandler
Amazing forests and amazing black and white images. Thanks for showing my favorite Parks in California. The coastal redwoods are something else. They are thick and super dark at night, allowing no moonlight through.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anne 😊 We only saw the trees in the immediate area of our cabin at night, where they are rather more sparse. It must be amazing to be deep in the forests after dark!
Anne Sandler
Once when we camped in the coastal redwoods my kids were young and so was I, I took them to a nighttime ranger talk. Because we were so used to walking by moonlight, I didn’t take a flash light. After the talk we stepped away from the amphitheater and we couldn’t see a thing. The trees were so dense. We waited until we found someone who was walking back to our campground and walked back with them. I always took a flashlight with me after that!
bushboy
Great collection Sarah 😀 They have turned out well in monochrome. I like the tall giants
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Brian 😊
Sue
You have some grand Woods here!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Sue, glad you like them 😀
Sue
😊😊
That Mum Travel Life
I’m so envious of your incredible talent! Your photography is beautiful
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, that’s very kind of you 😊
Leanne Cole
Forests from all around the world Sarah, they are all beautiful.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leanne, I love being among trees so this was a great challenge to work on 🙂
Teresa
These are wonderful. You have found some good ones here. I particularly like the Featured photo as you’ve used the small people to emphasise the height of the trees. I also like the tall trees of the Kielder Forest.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Teresa, I’m glad you like the feature photo in particular, it’s a favourite of mine 🙂