Ancient Souls - a photo on Flickriver

Ancient Souls

            My travels to the swamps are always memorable to me.  There is something zen like paddling through the murky waters of the cypress forest with all the various species of birds chanting amongst themselves.  They have their own language that sings through the air.  I close my eyes and listen.  I take everything in.  The chilly bayou atmosphere is eerie.  Mother nature has casted a spell throughout the bayou.  The mist ascends into the air and the fog creeps through the forest with a haunting feeling.  The mood is uncertain, yet so calming and beautiful.  These conditions appeal to me.  The drama, the mood, the unknown.  Those moments put me into a subtle daze, almost as if I am in another reality.  The monochromatic landscape is surreal......mythical to the eye.  
Each one of my visits to the bayou the conditions are always different.  I love the unknown.  Not knowing what the conditions will be is part of the challenge.  I'm always trying to figure out how I can make my imagery different.  Seeking out new ways of seeing the landscape.  I wasn't all the way successful with that thought process on this visit......which was fine.  There was a heavy insect infestation that ate/killed the majority of the leaves of the cypress trees in this particular area. Not knowing how the trees would look without leaves was intriguing to me.  I thought it could be very interesting to say the least.  I hadn't seen any of these beautiful old cypress in their skeletal form.  I was up for the challenge.  And quite honestly, I wanted to see/capture something completely different and unique. 
Seeing these ancient trees in their naked form was beautiful.  The absent of foliage revealed the true character of these elders.  One was able to see the complete tree structure of these old relics.  Each cypress tree provided its own character, and told its own story.  I can only imagine what each tree has seen in its many centuries of life.  The remnants of autumn lingered throughout the cypress forest in some areas, providing that needed contrast against the monochromatic landscape.  
As I reminisce, those two weeks in the bayou were special.  These swamps are remarkable.  They hold so much beauty and peace.  My imagery only tells only part of the story, but these images take me back to that surreal landscape.  It is a landscape that I connect with.   A surreal landscape that very few get an opportunity to see and experience for themselves.  Although these conditions may not have been "ideal" for some, for me......I wouldn't have it any other way.
DT

Head over to my website if you'd like to this image, along with the rest of my latest bayou imagery.

   

Taken on: March 8, 2021

Tags:

swamp

bayou

mist

fog

foggy

mood

moody

light

light beams

reflections

composition

eerie

spanish moss

the south « less

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