Prince William Forest Park

The Gateway to Fairyland /  by Todd Henson

The Gateway to Fairyland

I’ve spent the majority of my adult life, and much of my youth, searching, trying to find that obscure gateway hidden in plain sight. I knew it was there but it had always eluded me. I explored every patch of forested land I could, knowing it really didn’t matter much which I explored, that the gateway can be found in any of them, but I wondered if perhaps it might be easier found in one than another.

Little did I know I’d eventually find it in the forests closest to home, those I knew so well, had explored so long. Perhaps it wasn’t so much where or when I explored but how. What state of mind was I in? Did I really believe, or did I just want to believe? Or perhaps the gateway answers to that sense of desperation we may feel when we’re closest to giving up, and yet choose to keep searching. All I know for certain is that I finally found it. I found the Gateway to Fairyland.

I stared long into the depths within, trying to make sense of all the kaleidoscopic patterns, the infinite shades of green and brown. I almost lost myself before I even entered. But I focused, I concentrated, I remembered I’d meant to document my findings before exploring further. And so I attempted to photograph the gateway, to show you proof it does exist. You can find it, yourself, you just need to believe and to keep looking.

And now it’s time for me to enter the gateway, to find out what’s beyond. I will attempt to return and share my findings, if I’m able. But if not this may be my last letter to you.

Another of my explorations of Inverted Worlds. Gotta have fun sometimes, right? 😊

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

A Bend in the Road /  by Todd Henson

Inverted Worlds: A Bend in the Road

I’ve increasingly been on a bit of an abstract kick of late. I’m not sure I could say why or where I’m going with it, but I’ve decided to allow myself to walk down that path and explore a while.

Today we look at one of the simpler images I’ve created that fit into a theme I’ve been thinking of as Inverted Worlds, created by inverting photos in various ways. In this case we have a simple mirror effect creating a bit more of a bend in the road than we’d typically see.

This road passes through Prince William Forest Park and is a favorite drive during autumn when leaves are changing colors.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Greens and Browns Along the Ground /  by Todd Henson

In autumn most of the forest floor is the brown of fallen leaves. But there are still patches of color, mostly shades of green, sticking up every so often through the brown. I’ve gathered together a small collection of photos from one hike through Prince William Forest Park on October 29th, 2023, that show some of these greens and browns along the ground. I hope you enjoy them.

Fan Clubmoss

One of the common plants that remains green late in the year is fan clubmoss with its distinctive fan shape. It tends to grown very low to the ground and spreads out all over the forest floor.

Fan clubmoss spreads across the leaf-covered ground

Fan clubmoss and beech leaves (and a couple red oak)

Tree Clubmoss

Not quite as common in these woods is tree clubmoss, which grows taller than fan clubmoss and is far less smooth. In fact, the combination of the sharper bristles and the tall yellow stalks make it one of the plants sometimes used to create Christmas wreaths and other greenery. On one trail you can find fan clubmoss on one side and tree clubmoss on the other with the trail seemingly the dividing line between the two.

A field of tree clubmoss

Looking down on tree clubmoss

Delicate Fern Moss

What struck me about this scene was the beautifully delicate green fern patterns growing out of a hole in the fallen tree. Delicate fern moss is a very appropriate name. Sadly, I didn’t quite nail the focus with this image, but it still conveys the wonderful patterns and color.

The beautiful green patterns of delicate fern moss grow from a hole in a fallen tree

Partridge Berry

And speaking of color, it’s not at all uncommon to see the darker green leaves of partridge berry vining their way over other greenery like moss and lichen. And of course the bright red berries are an extra treat, especially when seen against all that green.

A bright red partridge berry with its darker green leaves set against lighter greens and brown leaves

Quartz

And let’s not forget the geology of this forest, one with plenty of quartz underground and sometimes poking out for us to appreciate. Here we see examples of quartz surrounded by leaves and some bits of greenery.

A wide view of quartz, leaves, moss and lichen

A quartz closeup


Autumn and winter often lead to less color in the landscape, but that doesn’t mean there’s no color. We just need to look a little closer to see it. And when we see it, to appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!