Beneath the Canopy

There’s a kind of hush in the woodland...

Not silence exactly, because the woods are never truly still. The rustle of branches, the distant call of a bird, the bark of a deer, the quiet scurry of unseen creatures, it’s all part of a hidden rhythm, a world moving to its own time.

I find myself returning to the woods often these days, more so than any other type of photography. Not always looking for something specific, but hoping to stumble into something honest. A break in the trees where light slants just right. The tangled limbs of trees standing like ancient guardians. A path that disappears into mist and shadow.

These places feel like memory. Like somewhere I’ve been before. There’s calm in the repetition, standing side by side, yet never the same. I love that contradiction: order and chaos, beauty and decay, all layered into one shifting canvas. Woodlands can be overwhelming, even messy at first glance, but there’s beauty in the complexity. The camera helps me find clarity in that mess. It becomes a way to explore not just the landscape, but something internal too.

In my woodland images, I try to capture that feeling. Not just how the woods look, but how they feel, dense, textured, sometimes quiet, sometimes overwhelming. Some are simple studies of shape and light. Others are more abstract, where forms melt into motion and shadow.

Below are just a few example I’ve picked out, I’d love to hear what you feel when you look at them.

Until next time, may you find a quiet path, a patch of light, and a reason to pause.
—Rick—