Along the Nine Penny Branch trail, I came across a couple dozen of these little Celandine poppies. The biggest clump was closest to the trail, while this little guy was standing proudly all alone, several feet away, like the bravest little flower in all the forest.
The evening light was perfect, so I got down on my belly, attempting to capture the brilliant yellow against the dark backdrop of the forest. I was probably laying there in the leaves and the mud for a couple minutes, experimenting with a few settings, trying to get the mood just right. When I was pretty sure I had gotten the shot, I slowly stood up, completely terrifying another hiker making his way down the trail.
As he figured out I wasn’t some swamp thing rising from the forest floor, we shared a good laugh. He caught his breath as I tried to brush myself off. “Is it really worth laying on the wet ground like that?” he asked. “I hope so,” was my reply.
Looking now at the finished product, I know so.
Nine Penny Branch State Nature Preserve • Charlestown, Indiana
