September 14, 2025

Slow afternoon at the pine forest behind the town

It has been a while since my last trip to the pine forest behind the town. I tried a few long exposures, but the wind had other ideas. The handheld shots turned out better anyway.

I underexposed most of the frames on purpose, to keep the mood cold and clear rather than bright. I sat on a bench for almost an hour, just watching birds over water change as the clouds moved.

Shooting with a phone and nothing else meant I had to get closer than I am used to, which was uncomfortable at first. An elderly couple asked me to take their picture. I used their phone, then made one frame of them on mine.

There is something calming about returning to the same spot and noticing small changes since the last visit. Working with a phone and nothing else forces you to slow down. You think twice before pressing the shutter, and that changes the pictures.

Nothing dramatic happened, and that was exactly the point.