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For those who have attended my seminars or workshops on photo composition, you will recognize this as one of my self-imposed academic exercises in "exploring a subject."

The subject in this case is the ferns that grow on the forest floor along the Hart-Montague bicycle trail on the west side of Michigan's lower peninsula.

The Connecticut Botanical Society (web site listed below) lists more than 70 species of wild ferns in the United States.  These are either Bracken or Broad Beech ferns.  They look very similar.  

My purpose was not a scientific inquiry, so I didn't spend too much time on the research.  My intent was to show the beauty of the ferns themselves as well as the beauty of their environment.

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/ferns/index.html

From the descriptions and photos these appear to be Bracken.

According to the CT Botanical Society, "Bracken is easily recognized by its large, triangular fronds. It is a very common fern, and it often grows in large colonies. Bracken is a fire-adapted species. It has deep rhizomes that survive fires, and ashes make the soil more alkaline, a favorable condition for germination of its spores."

That's more than I wanted to know about ferns.  What I appreciate about them is their beautiful green covering of the forest floor where they grow so prolifically.  Their exquisite symmetry gives credence to the idea that a skilled designer laid out the  pattern of the ground cover.  I had the feeling that I shouldn't  walk through it and mess it up.

In the close-ups they show the elegance of their formal symmetry.

A rain drop or two adds a feeling of freshness.

The photos in this series were all taken on a hazy, overcast day (perfect lighting for this subject).

Although I had intended to begin the day a little earlier, I set out first-thing, right at the crack of noon.  

Most sages in photography say the best, most dramatic photos are taken early in the morning or late in the afternoon.  However, on overcast days you will have beautiful, soft-key lighting all day long.

Every now and again the sun would shine between the clouds and cast brilliant highlights into the tangles of brush and decaying deadwood covered by the brilliant green ferns.

On an open hill side they take on a completely different character.

At the edge of the forest they provide a soft, quiet, visual welcome into the woods.

While I like the warmth  of Texas and Mexico deserts in the winter and their unique visual characteristics, the green woods of Michigan are still my favorite places to be.

Back lighting shows yet a different way of looking at wild ferns and a fresh aspect of the subject.

This series shows examples of "exploring a subject" from close-up through including the subject in its natural environment.  Doing this kind of exercise is much easier on the pocketbook with digital cameras than it was in the not too distant past when the expense of film and processing made "practicing" photography almost prohibitive.  Every shot had to count.

To complete this project, I walked the  bike trail about two miles and took more than 200 pictures in a three hour time span.  Most practice sessions don't take that long and I usually don't take so many photos, but this was a fun project conducted in a place I love to be.