Resetting in the forest
We can’t go long as a family without needing time together in a natural setting. I’ve been split all week between my in-laws house in Brookline, my father’s house in Newburyport, and his hospice in Danvers. These are all towns in Massachusetts that are not too far but far enough that multiple back-and-forths per day will eventually eat at your soul and your lower back. Today I took a break and prioritized my kids and regulating ourselves in a tactile environment that could help calm us.
I was reminded of how different the forests here are versus the ones we take the kids to regularly in British Columbia. The brown is almost overwhelming this time of year but there is also the blue that is only really seen in the summer in Vancouver. The shoulder season in New England is crunchy and full of sticks that will poke your eye out if you aren’t looking. It is dry and wet at the same time, a crackling, squelching affair depending on where you step. The contradiction of it all is very New England.
I chose to make these images black and white because it really was the light and texture and contrast I was chasing today. These were all taken with my phone using the Lightroom App. There was some nice color, but the forest seen like this makes the photographs far more active than if I’d left them alone. The brown of March would’ve made it seem like a less dynamic place than it actually was. In this case the black and white enhanced the take away and the ability to look at these places we’ve walked since childhood anew, as we must, in order to parent. I particularly like the images where my children practically blend into the landscape and the objects they are examining.