Del Monte Forest 1956

Wynn Bullock captured this image of Del Monte Forest using gelatin silver. I can almost feel the cool, damp air of the forest in this photo. The way the light filters through the trees, creating this soft, hazy effect, it's like stepping into a dream. Look at the texture of the bark on those trees! Bullock really captured the ruggedness and the rawness of nature here. I imagine him wandering through this forest, camera in hand, searching for the perfect spot, the perfect angle. Did he wait for the fog to roll in? Did he have a specific vision in mind, or did he let the forest reveal itself to him? I like to think it was a little bit of both, a collaboration between artist and nature. Bullock wasn’t just taking pictures of trees, he was capturing a mood, an atmosphere. It’s a reminder of the power of photography to transport us to another place, another time, another state of mind.