Tiny Blue Mushroom

Imagine the scene:
You are walking on a forest path, you suddenly notice a guy wearing a straw hat embellished with feathers, a huge backpack on his shoulders, lying on his stomach in the grass and sticking his camera to the ground to take a photo... That's me.
People were curious and some stopped to ask what I was shooting. It was fun to see surprise in their eyes when I showed them to photo of this tiny mushroom I found.

I spent a good amount of time focusing on the ground, walking slowly to find those hidden tiny treasures to capture with my macro lens. This mushroom was about 2cm tall (less than an inch). Bugs, spiders, plants.. It was all worth rolling in the mud for these different shots.

And at least now my parents can't spank me for getting all dirty!

Do you mind getting all dirty to capture a beautiful shot?
And do you, by any chance, know what this type of mushroom is called? It was so small and fragile. Loved it!

Ferns

When I walked for the second time on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I decided to take my time and  enjoy every step. I had all the time in the world.
One of my pleasures was to slow down in the forests and take macro B&W shots as I loved the strong shadows and the diffused light through the leaves. I had a lot of fun capturing macros of ferns. For this particular photo, I was so concentrated on trying to get a nice focused shot (I focus manually on macros) that I didn't realize I was stepping in poison ivy. Oh the rash!
I noticed that, when I decided to take specific kind of shots for the day (landscape, macro, B&W, portraits, etc..) the mind shifts and the eye filters only what I had wanted to see. If I needed to take landscapes, I would walk with my head high, eyes seeking far ahead. If I wanted to take B&W macro shots, I'd tend to walk slower, with my eyes focusing on the ground around me, trying to seek strong contrasts.

What are your thoughts? Do you sometimes plan "themed shots" per day? Do you see the same way when you do?

Galician Chalet

Galicia is one of my favorite regions in Spain, located on the North-Western part, right above Portugal. Although it's the most rainy region, I find it extremely beautiful with its mountains, forests and Celtic culture.
I took this shot while on the Camino de Santiago, around the last week before arriving to Santiago de Compostella. There is a steep climb on mount Cebreiro with magnificent landscapes.
Who wouldn't want to live in a chalet like this with this beautiful view every morning?

Feathers of the Forest

I had the occasion to go through many forests while walking on the Camino in Spain.

I love forests, they seem so full of Life, Wisdom and Peace. I had a great time wandering around at a very slow pace and capturing details.

Enjoy!

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit".

~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~

French Camino

This picture was taken on the first day of my Camino. It's located on the french side, before the spanish border, near St Jean Pied-de-Port.

It's quite a big change for me to travel from the UAE's chaotic skyscrapers and desert landscapes to the green mountains of the Pyrenees. I just feel connected to the mountains: I am a mountain person I guess.

We started walking late on the first day, not knowing that most pilgrims stop walking around 4~5pm. I guess that's why we were most of the time walking alone.
Reaching the top of the mountain (from 200m to 1400m high in 5hours), we had to stop and camp in the freezing cold, misty and windy weather. The first night was rough but we had such a splendid view from the top in the morning, with an ocean of clouds at our feet. It was worth it!

For those interested, here's a wallpaper version of the same photo uncropped for you to enjoy: 1024x664 , 1280x830 resolutions (click on the "Download button on the top).