A Forest & River Session with Fern

While I spent some time first thing photographing int he Irving Gardens, the real reason for driving to Wolfville was to spend the afternoon working with Fern. After picking her up, we drove to a space along the highway her father had described to us, and proceeded to hunt for a waterfall he'd provided directions to.

Digital infrared

As we walked through the forest towards the waterfall, we came across a small clearing filled with ferns; knowing how luminous the space would be in infrared, I asked Fern is she'd be interested in starting the session working with her name-sake. She was more than keen , and the above image was one of the most pleasing from the explorations.

Digital infrared, 5 frame stitch

As we hunted for the waterfall (the directions were only general, and it took some hunting), we eventually found the river that fed into it, and made a number of images as we followed it downstream. The above image was a compromise of sorts; we both expected that Fern would eventually work within the river itself, but wished to keep her from getting cool too early in the afternoon (there by bringing the session to an early end), so we found a way for Fern to pose with the river, without getting wet!

Digital infrared, 13 frame stitch

The above image was made  at the top of one of the steepest waterfalls I have seen in Nova Scotia; I really love the interplay between Fern's figure and the rocks around her, made all the richer for the luminous quality of the grasses on the rocks. I’m quite glad we stopped to work at the top of it, as after a good ten minute clamber down the sides, we arrived at the bottom to realize it was REALLY hard to make an image with such a larger, and vertical waterfall.