A UVM blog NR 9 Blog: Peter Wyrick

Wonder Blog Assignment #3

By pwyrick

Part 1:

Wednesday, 7/05/23. 1:00 PM

Falling Springs Run park, Oakmont, PA 15139

Weather: It is incredibly hot and sunny today. The forest is muggy, & there is lots of mud from the past few days of rain.

Part 2:

When I arrived in the woods today, it was very hot and sticky. immediately I was swarmed with pesky bugs, such as mosquitoes and gnats. As I began walking down I could tell there has been more growth since I started coming in here. I was definitely walking through more brush than I remembered. Compared to when I used to play in this area as a kid, it is barely recognizable. Where the forest floor used to be all O soil horizon, many new plants and bushes have sprung up. There was not much new for me to see, no animals were scurrying about. In my search for photographs, I found many good contenders. Lots of natural features that I had not previously noticed, that I found quite interesting. at some points while I was trying to get the right shot, I had to deal with mosquitoes landing on my hands. I had to let them do their thing, as I needed to stay still for the pictures.

Part 3:

Q: What geologic events may have led to the creation of this specific ravine that runs through this forest?

A: The Grenville, Taconic, Acadian, and most recently the Appalachian Oregonys all had impacts on the state of Pennsylvania.

Part 4:

A lit up area in an otherwise shady forest – I chose this subject as when I was there, it naturally drew me in. This one small area of sun was very welcoming and gave spotlight to certain trees.
Light piercing through the tree canopy – I chose this subject as I felt it captured the vastness of this specific forest. Large trees looming overhead, that only get to stay because we have designated this area a park.
Two trees joined at the roots – I chose this subject because I felt these trees told a nice story. While they both get to grow and be independent of one another, there is still something that binds them at the core. They share food and space, learning to coexist.
Fungi covered tree – I chose this subject because I was impressed by how this fungi has fully taken over the tree, but not other trees in the area. I framed it so that you could see the depth of the forest behind it.
Tree stump – I chose this subject because I like what it represents. Even though the trees life may be over and it has been chopped down, it can still provide. I could tell many little creatures take refuge in the deep hole at the base of this stump.

Part 5:

I enjoyed the experience of taking photos of my site. It made me search for new perspectives of the same area I’ve seen for years. It made me realize what parts have been touched by man, and what parts have not. I enjoyed it more than the sketching experience. With sketching, I felt I was not accurately portraying what I saw in front of me. But with photography, it was about finding the best angle for each given area. I took many and went through to choose the best ones at the end. Overall, this intro to wildlife photography helped me to realize how detailed the natural world is, and that if you want someone to see something in the same way you do in the moment, lighting and framing are key.

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