In early March the landscape was predominantly colored in neutral earth tones, umbers and siennas both burnt and raw. The muted palette was could be both subtle and bold.
Sometimes a scene just cries out for representation in black and white. As I crested one dune ridge another one came into view, covered with trees which had not yet begun to bud. Although the trees were very much alive they had a ghostly quality to them which I knew would translate well in B&W.
This swale was full of tall grasses and reeds. However one week later an uncontrolled wildfire swept through all of Miller Woods. On my next visit this scene was very different.
When most of the land is brown and yellow, the the little bits of purple and green really stand out. Check out the varying shades of green lichens on the branch.
This bridge marks a very distinct change from Black Oak Savanna atop dune ridges (in the foreground) to looser sand of the youngest dunes which run up to the beach. On several hikes in the mosquito infested heat and humidity of summer this was my turnaround point. But on this day I went all the way to the lakefront.