Ferns

Bracken sea

Just after the sun dipped below the treeline I found this arrangement of ferns that I liked quite a bit. Glad I had the very tall tripod.

Glade Fern (Homalosorus pycnocarpos)

A rare and protected species in Wisconsin. I was lucky enough to see and photograph it on a field trip with the Wisconsin NFR.

Mending brings you back

One day this and a few other fiddleheads were there and the next they weren't. Deer? Not sure.

Cinnamon fern fiddleheads

All near the Prairie river the ferns are coming up!

Take your bearings

After withstanding several snowfalls, these ferns are finally bent under their burden. Went off trail and fought a bush to get this shot. Eventually fell on my butt and laughted.

So sensitive

Spore pods for sensitive fern bend in the snow and afternoon light.

With a passing regard

A fern, past its prime still puts on a display.

The chance of some silence

Clinging to its last green, this bit of fern made a lovely, frosty contrast with the leaves below.

Beauty twice again

More wilted beauty in my backyard,

Advanced in a zig-zag

When I spied some still green ferns next to my driveway, i got right in there before the sun could melt the frost, but still lit up the scene. Joy.

Like your need to breathe

Soft morning light on drifts of leaves and wilting ferns. Perfect to play with my new long lens.

I hadn't noticed at first

Each time I change the processing with this little scene, it brings out something else.

Almost melted away

As the camera set the white balance, it reminds me of how things look with some of my Oakley lenses.

Final bow

Lush ferns die back in fall, but still provide a glimpse of beauty.

The place you land

One of my favorite fall pictures is of leaves caught by something on their way back to the earth.

A soft landing

More leaves in the maidenhair fern - one of my favorite things about fall.

Gets your full attention

Ferns change with the crisp September air. Irresistible.

I'm only dancing

Some ferns and other plants waving in the wind. I've been meaning to do more of this kind of thing.

A brief breakthrough

More beautiful ferns and other undergrowth on the inland shores of the Spirit River.

Beautiful distraction

A beautiful little royal fern next to my boat. Just had to play with its reflection a little bit.

Early signs

Ferns unfurling by a big log. Just part of what makes spring so special.

This cold day

Following deer tracks in the woods I came upon this evergreen fern that didn't even get a single nibble! Just next to is is a bunch of leaves kicked up by the does.

Glory asunder

Another handheld shot w/the legacy Olympus 135mm f2.8 lens. This is probably at f4 or so, but it isn't too soft. I like the color contrast with the leaves.

Disquiet

Now I have the tripod and switched to the legacy Olympus 35mm f2 lens. It's a little tight and I should have pulled back a bit, but I like the low perspective. This lens is still crisp, but doesn't have as much contrast as modern lenses.

Fading echoes

Another with the OM 35mm f2 lens at probably f5.6. There's some chromatic aberation, but pretty good for an old lens and I like the fly which I didn't notice IRL. I like the way the series turned out; captures some of the end of fall malaise that sets in before the snow flies.

Questlight

It's worth waiting for the breeze to die down when the ferns look like this. OM 90mm at f4

I found this gorgeous group of (I think) cinnamon fern fiddleheads on the south side of a tree. You can really tell where the sun hits and where the pockets of warmth are by this kind of early growth. OM 90mm at probably f8 or so.

A visceral reaction

Rock cap fern is so photogenic, even in winter when it curls and reveals its spores. The captured snow inside the leaves is just a bonus!

Theme park of fancy

Oh how I love the fact that Wisconsin has so much maidenhair fern. I never get tired of seeing it or photographing it. This little group was still relatively green (sheltered from the frost) and had a scattering of raindrops.

Signs of the season

Leaves are turning, but not all the ferns are so they make a great contrast.

Crawlspace

While prowling my yard I found a hollowed out stump with these gorgeous little ferns growing down within it, still green even in September. OM 90mm at f5.6 or so.

Still there for me

My yard just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, I have maidenhair fern here, mere feet from my door. Amazing. OM 90mm at f2.8.

Lullaby blues

Maidenhair fern likes calcareous soils and given the limestone here in northern Wisconsin, we have a lot of it. Even right here in my yard. I love it. OM 90mm at f2.8.

Hours of solidarity

While I was exploring Garwin falls I spied these evergreen ferns clinging to a boulder by the rushing water. Shot w/the OM 135mm f2.8 legacy lens probably at f5.6.

That ain't no crime

While exploring some ruins in the Townes Forest I noted that all the evergreen ferns had drooped downwards like waterfalls. This one had the best light. Behind it is the rock foundation of a HUGE barn that once stood here.

Can you see the real me?

Another experimental handheld shot, this time at ISO 500. Given the wind, it's not too bad. I loved this little group of furled ferns and tried to do something with them before the light quit. Not sure it works, but I like it anyway. The ferny goodness glowing in the sun is enough for me.

Warm embrace

Rich autumn color isn't only reserved for the treetops. OM 90mm at probably 5.6

American Hart's-tongue fern

Unfortunately so scarce that there are few records of them in the wild. All the more reason to visit the Garden in the Woods.

The Uprising

While at the Fox State forest looking for trilium with Jeff Newcomer, we found that the Christmas ferns were emerging and who could resist? Handheld even!

Narrow Lady Fern

These are in lovely, generous plantings at Garden in the Woods so I couldn't resist getting down in there with the OM 90mm.

Woven of Sleep

Frost-covered ferns with a bit of blackberry vine running through them. Irresistible. Shot with the OM 90mm f2 legacy macro at probably f8.

Innermost secrets

When I saw tons of what I think are cinnamon ferns off the trail, sunning themselves I knew I'd have to go check them out. The light was perfect for bringing up texture and detail in the tiny fronds still folded tight. Shot w/the OM 90mm f2 at probably f4, handheld.

This side of Paradise

I love trails like this - hemmed in by ferns so lush and whispery.

A joyful silence

Oh how I love christmas fern. The morning sun made this little group so appealing. Hard to isolate those fiddleheads though, but that's another thing fallen trees are good for.

Sharing secrets

I think this is a variety of wood fern. Even if it remains nameless, I liked this little grouping and the OM 90mm macro works just as well as a short telephoto.