Golden Ferns and Towering Pines

I got a tip that the colors in Camp Sherman were going off, so we made an impromptu trip out there. What started as a hunch turned into one of those rare, perfect light days — saturated ferns, glowing Ponderosa, and a gorgeous Metolius reflecting every hue. The scene felt almost orchestrated: shafts of early-afternoon sun pierced the clouds, backlighting leaves into translucent sheets of fire and gold. We worked quickly, knowing the window wouldn’t last, and came away with images that capture the forest’s fleeting intensity.