Mike Patterson
October 2026 - Mountain Landscape
About the Image(s)
I captured this image in Waterton National Park, on the Canadian side of Glacier National Park in the U.S. Several years ago, a massive forest fire roared through the park and burned somewhere in the range of three-quarters of the forests. While driving through the park, I spotted this scene of the burned trees that created an intriguing pattern alongside a mountain. Already, the forest is starting to rejuvenate with grasses and sprigs of new trees starting to appear. Captured with a Canon R5, using a 700-300mm lens at 170mm, F/8 and 1/800 second.
2 comments posted
Great eye, Mike. I think this image could easily be the background of an Andrew Wyeth painting. The trees are so thin and densely packed, with almost no branches or foliage, giving the forest a stark, almost skeletal appearance. The repetitive vertical lines create a striking texture across the entire landscape.
The tonality is excellent, and the image has tremendous visual impact. The lighting really accentuates the story and adds to the mood. I honestly wouldn't change a thing other than darkening the small triangle in the top right.
Posted: 10/04/2026 13:01:17
The tonality is excellent, and the image has tremendous visual impact. The lighting really accentuates the story and adds to the mood. I honestly wouldn't change a thing other than darkening the small triangle in the top right.
Posted: 10/04/2026 13:01:17
Thanks for your comment. I darkened that upper right corner to balance the lower left corner. Seeing it posted, it's obvious that it needs a bit more darkening. It didn't look that light when I processed it. Posted: 10/05/2026 13:26:28