“This is the gift of the landscape photograph, that the heart finds a place to stand.” – Emmet Gowin

Monday has been a rest day for the grandparents. It sounds funny to say, but – and especially in light of the fact that my parents are gone – Rebekah and I are now the people who, while we may summon additional resources for special occasions such as the Cedar Point adventure, also need to sit down and watch sometimes!

So Andrew and Alicia (a.k.a. “the ultra cool aunt and uncle”) took all three children to a water park while we stayed at the condo. Sure we did some cleaning and laundry and stuff, but we also relaxed, and I had time to go through my Nikon photographs from Sunday afternoon at Dow Gardens.

I particularly want to focus on the beautiful landscaping and the epic elevated trail. The Dow Gardens canopy boardwalk – the nation’s longest at 1,400 feet – soars 40-feet into the trees and is part of a $20 million 4-year project that includes the almost 14,000 square ft. state of the art playground.

You will see a lot of photographs of the family in this collection, but mostly as a vehicle to add perspective and motion to the landscape.

So please take a moment to enjoy the following images. And linger on those where the light makes such interesting patterns through the trees. Light is the most important element of photography, along with composition, and these seem to have both.

Today is a travel day. Hopefully I will have a few pictures of Niagara Falls to post tomorrow morning. In the meanwhile, peace and love – and light – to all.

– DEREK