You may have noticed that in recent years, the majority of my photographs in the Corvallis area have been in the Timberhill Natural Area (whether from the 29th St., the Huckleberry, the Shooting Star or the Chip Ross Park entrances). There is a reason for that. The TNA is private property, and we found out a few years ago that is to be developed into housing. This natural crown jewel of Corvallis is soon to be destroyed. And that’s not the only pressure the area has suffered. Four years ago (I think it was 4, but it may be 5), there was a major fire that swept through the area. Despite the fire, the recovery has been amazing. Even the destroyed dead trees that are still standing have a magnificent wabi sabi beauty. Because we are about to lose it, I have been spending as much time as I can there; soaking up its great beauty, its peace and serenity and its wonderful healing energy. There is a powerful lesson here. In reality, all life is sheer gift. None of us has a claim upon any of it. And we all need to spend our life energy living with profound appreciation for all that has blessed us.
3 bracketed shots merged and tone mapped in Aurora HDR. The resulting file was brought into Studio 1.12.0 where A.I. Clear; Adjust 5, Adaptive Exposure, Adaptive Saturation; Precision Contrast, Precision Detail, HSL; and a My Orton preset were applied.
