Winter Bracken
This clump of bracken is near the wooded entrance to the Unitarian Church on Matterhorn Drive (map), across the street from The Red Barn Market on West Saanich Road. These pictures were taken on the same outing as when I took a series of photos against a rusty tank behind the market, and of swans on the seasonal pond next to the tank. I had been out this way a week or two earlier, without my camera, and the bracken along West Saanich Road had caught my eye – something about its luminous quality and also a brown colour that I really liked. When I went back with the camera I found the brown had faded to a less pleasing tone (or the light was different). I took these photos to see if I could salvage something of the fleeting impression gained when driving by. I am pretty satisfied with the luminous qualities (especially the first one), but they work far better in a contrast-y black and white than in the colour, so that’s what I have to offer today.
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Canon EOS 5Dii, Canon Lens 50mm/f1.4, ISO 320. Top f5, 1/125th second. Middle f5, 1/100th. Bottom f1.4, 1/1,600th.
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burnt embers 
What a fabulous set, my friend, I love the study you’ve done here with the plants and their intrinsic lighting!
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Hello Toad – thanks so much. There was not a lot of light, but the ferns do a great job of reflecting it.
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I agree..the B&W works really well here! Luminous is a great way to describe these shots!
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Thank you David. Glad you like them.
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I love the ghostly quality to the leaves. Beautiful capture.
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Thanks so much Ryan. They were reflecting the light so nicely.
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I had dozens of ferns when I lived in MN, but have had trouble cultivating them here. Too much sun in the back yard. They make great subjects for photos. These are especially nice.
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Hi Ken – thanks a lot. They do like shade, but if there is a good spot for them, they are pretty low maintenance and great to look at. My all time favourite fern is the Maiden Hair Fern which we get in this part of the world in very wet places, like on the sides of dripping wet cliffs, or near waterfalls. It is very delicate, quite small, with a shiny black stem and beautiful form. I really should seek some out and photograph them.
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These have worked out so well in B&W – the contrast is tremendous. I particularly like the first one – a great composition.
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Thank you LenScraper – I like that first one too. I usually lead with the one that pleases me the best when I am putting the post together.
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These are terrific. I really like the high contrast and ferns are so fascinating. Pre-historic but so elegant.
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I have a soft spot for things prehistoric, elegant or otherwise. Horsetails (Equisetum), for instance, are fascinating.
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Wonderful, stark but not cold pictures!
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Welcome to my blog mrspedigrew, and thanks so much for your comment. I will be having a good look at your blog now that I know of it 🙂
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Nice lighting- good choice on the black and white. The monochrome really helps bring out the textures.
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Thank you so much Luke. You take photographs that I can only aspire to. It’s a pleasure to have you visit my blog.
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Beautiful compositions, totally. Loved all of them. The B&W makes them magical! 🙂
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Hi Nandini – thank you so much.
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I love the graphic quality of these images – perfect choice for B&W!
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Thanks Lynn. Do you have many ferns in your garden? They do very well around here, no coddling necessary.
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So bold and demanding, I really like these!!
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Hi Juanita – thanks so much. They are bold, even though they are mere remnants of their greener selves.
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I love how dramatic they look in black and white. Good shots! 🙂
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Thankyou Anne – I like how they work in black and white.
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I love the light on these pictures !!!
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Hello Mathias – thank you. It was overcast but pretty bright and open to the side but not from above.
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