All Tangled Up
I first came across a photo of the Monterey Cypress trees in Pt. Lobos State Nature Reserve while at work. Someone pulled up a photo and I thought its as one of the coolest things I had seen in a long time. I just loved the way the tree branches intertwined amongst each other, while white moss and green algae (which appears orange) give the entire scene a crazy mood. I knew I had to go see the trees for myself.
Having been "trapped" in doors for weeks with the COVID lockdown, Sammi, Willie, Sarah and I were itching to get out into some nature. So we decided to drive down to Big Sur (separately so we'd be COVID safe) and get out into fresh air. Unfortunately so did a gazillion other people and it turned out that this day, New Years Day, was the busiest day in the park.
A green algae, known as Trentepohlia, which ironically looks reddish orange on the trees, grows on these trees on the shadowy seaward side of the trees. Kicked up by the salty ocean spray, the algae attaches to the trees and they live in a natural harmony. It's orange color comes from carotene, the same pigment found in carrots.
Trying to take pictures here is tough, especially on a crowded day, because there's a steep hill on one side, and a path with all the COVID carrying tourists on the other side. Setting up a large tripod and lens blocks the path, so Willie and I tried to be quick, get our photos, and get out of there. The scene doesn't make a "quick snap" easy though -- the massive depth of the trees and the telephoto lens mean that multiple photos are required, at various focus points. In this case, I used 6 photos, focused in different parts of the trees, to create more depth in the scene. I then used a computer program, Affinity Photo, to automatically determine the sharpest parts of each photo and blend the photo together into one fully focused photo.
Nikon D850 w/Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8:
120mm, f/16, 1/15 sec, ISO 320
6 photo focus stack
