Among the Giants 
© Miles Hecker

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SEASONS

Temperatures range from 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit all year long throughout the redwood maritime region. Starting in May the California Current moves warm surface water away from the coast, bringing deeper, colder water from the ocean’s depths close to shore. This event creates a narrow band which often shrouds the coast redwoods in life-sustaining moisture during the drier summer.

This fog, combined with the flowering of the California rhododendronmake the last two weeks in May and the first week of June the best time for landscape photography in the redwood coastal region.

TIMES

 

The dense canopy created by the giant trees makes standard golden hour sunrise and sunset shots impossible. The best time for photography in the Stout Grove is late afternoon on a sunny day. At this time magnificent rays of light penetrate the forrest and create a cathedral like atmosphere.

HDR techniques will be needed to capture the vast range of light present under these occasions. If the weather is overcast, you can get good but not outstanding photos throughout the day. The photo above was taken at 28mm focal length on a full frame camera.

LENS & FILTERS

LENS: 17-35mm for 35mm sensor cameras, 10-22mm for crop sensor cameras

FILMS

Slide films: Fuji Provia 100F

About Miles Hecker

Miles has been involved with photography for over forty years. He teaches digital photography at Casper College in Casper,Wyoming. His photos have won awards fromNatures Best magazine,Photo.net, The Luminous LandscapeandWyoming WIldlife . Miles’ photos have been published in American Vignette, Backpacker Magazine, Natures Best Images, Popular Photography, Wyoming Audubon, and Wyoming Wildlife. He is co-founder ofWyoFOTO LLC.

                                                                                                                                                               February, 2011