In Search of Redwoods & Rhododendrons

It was early September. I was headed south to the California Redwood Park region. It was a reconnaissance trip. The objective was to find locations where redwood trees and rhododendrons plants thrived together.

Capturing rhododendron flowers surrounded by redwood trees has been on my photo wish list for a while. If I could find ideal places I would return next spring.

I planned to scout the Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks plus portions of the Redwood National Park. About 70 miles defined the northern and southern border of my search area.

I hoped to hike as many redwood forest trails as I could in four or five days. I was looking for large rhododendron plants. These plants are easy to spot and this time of the year I expected to find them flowerless with yellowing leaves. 

I began my search in the Del Norte Coast section. I camped at Mill Creek, an area close to the ocean. An almost continuous offshore wind pushes fog through the surrounding redwood forest. These conditions provide delightful photo opportunities. 

An afternoon trail hike from the campground lead me to high ground. I couldn’t see the ocean but I could hear it. As I hiked the sun would periodically penetrate the clouds and fog. Streaks of sun beamed through the fog creating an array of light at different intensities.

Redwood Fog Beams 210108NWND850BW - Morning sun penetrates the fog in Del Norte Redwood National Park, California, USA. Nikon D850, 24-70 f/2.8 @ 26mm, 1/60s, f/8, ISO 800.

I rose early the second morning and drove down to Klamath River Overlook. The sky seemed to start just above my head. Low hanging fog and clouds moved slowly north and inland. I stood a few hundred feet above the ocean watching the sea foam swirl. A good distance south the sun was struggling to make an appearance. The landscape in front of me included a full range of grey tones from pure black to bright white. I set up my gear. 

My vision was to create a photo that portrayed a sense of isolation and cautious intrigue. As I stood on the cliff in the cold mist I felt compressed between the sea and sky and wanted to convey that in the final photo. 

I wanted to create a photograph that would put you right there, standing at the top of the cliff wondering what was below. Wondering what was just over the edge. I wanted your eye to start with the swaying pampas grass in the foreground and move onto the swirling sea foam, the scattered sea stacks, and ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

I took several 15-30 second exposures. The long exposure allowed me to; exaggerate the sea foam swirls, smear the clouds and fog and, blur the pampas grass as it swayed in the cold breeze coming up from the ocean. 

Klamath Requa Overlook 210121SND850BW - Sunrise tries to penetrate the dense morning fog & cloud cover, Klamath River Overlook, Requa, California, USA. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 @ 14mm, 1s, f/14, ISO 100.

Satisfied I had fulfilled my photo vision I packed my gear and walked back to the car. As I drove away I saw a stand of white barked trees with a foreground of foliage with large leaves growing beneath them. Behind the trees was a dense mass of growth trapped in a layer of fog. I was struck by the contrast and depth of the scene. 

The white bark of the trees stood in stark contrast to the dark foggy background. The large green leaves of the plants in front provided context and a way into the photo. The sharpness of the scene varied a great deal. The foreground plants were in sharp focus. The fog made the mid ground trees were less sharp and the background even less so.

The fog rolled in and out as I took photos. Just enough light penetrated through the fog to highlight the ground cover and tree bark. I had to clean the mist of the lens between every shot. I lightly sepia toned the file during the final edit. 

Among Redwoods 210109NWND850BW - White barked trees intermingled with California redwoods in the Del Norte Redwood National Park, USA. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 @ 24mm, 1s, f/13, ISO 100.

I left Del Norte and headed south to Patrick’s Point State Park. The plan was to spend a few days here and work my way back north. Patrick’s Point was a wonderful little park with the Pacific Ocean as its immediate western boundary. All of the trails begin from the campgrounds. It was here that I discovered some amazing trees. Watered by the constant incoming fog and manicured by wind, many of the trees were uniquely shaped.

Patricks Tree 210098LND850BW - Ocean fog feeds a redwood at Patricks Point along the California Coast, USA. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 @ 19mm, 1/100s, f/10, ISO 400.

After a couple of days I headed north. I was scheduled to spend a couple of days in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It was here I expected to find what I was looking for, rhododendron plants among the tall redwood trees.

I hiked several trails and came across some amazing scenery including some unique redwood trees. Some were what you might see in a PBS nature program, tall, symmetrical with textured bark. Others were gnarly, bumpy looking mutants. These mutant trees produced with their burl knobs made for great photos. 

Redwood Burls 210097NWND850BW - Basal burls (lignotubers) congregate at the base of a redwood tree in the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park, Elk Meadow area, California, USA. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 @ 24mm, 1/5s, f/9, ISO 400.

My quest to find large stands of rhododendrons was still unfulfilled. While I had seen several isolated stands of small groups, none met my hopeful expectation.

I rose early on the last day and headed to the Rhododendron Trailhead. Surely this trail would have some rhododendrons. 

Eureka! 

Indeed rhododendrons were everywhere. None had flowers but most still had leaves now turning yellow and falling off. I imagined them with rhododendron flowers in the mist among the redwoods. This would definitely be the place to return to in the spring. The challenge would be timing the spring bloom.

Mission accomplished. I made a mental note of my location. Relieved I walked on.

As I hiked on I began to visualize amazing photo compositions. Maybe it was because the ‘search’ was over and my mind was free to see these new possibilities. It seemed a stellar composition was around every corner and the light was perfect. 

I zig zagged down the trail and saw a lone, thin branched tree with small bright yellow leaves standing directly in front of a tall redwood with dark textured bark. Immediately the contrast caught my eye. 

I composed the image so that the majority of the leaves would have a dark backdrop. I included two other redwoods, one on either side of the main subject to give the image depth. Just enough sun was filtering through the canopy to light up the small tree’s leaves. I moved in to exclude the redwood tree tops and the origin of the small tree. I felt this would make the scene more intimate and force a close look at the details.

Redwood Shadows 210096NWND850BW - A tree thrives in the shadow of this redwood in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park in California, USA. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 @ 70mm, 1s, f/8, ISO 100.

This was one of the most favorite photos of the trip.
As I packed my gear for the last time I felt accomplished. I knew exactly where I needed to be next spring. Walking among these beautiful redwood trees reminded me not to take it all for granted. 

If you wish to have the same experience, please do all you can to protect and preserve the natural world. Do assume someone else will do it for you. Don’t take it for granted.

If you enjoy my story telling and my photos, please share my name and website with a friend. I would be most appreciative.

If you wish to see some of my black and white prints up close, stop by the Sisters Gallery & Frame Shop, Sisters, Oregon, USA.

Thank you for your interest and continued support. It means a lot to me.

Cheers,

Steve