I saw these two out on a hike in the mountains. The aminita muscaria always has fascinated me … they have an almost magnetic visual appeal. Back in the late ’70’s I knew a guy that claimed he ate them. Said they made him awfully sick, but that the visions were worth it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he died young.
These are some Canadian Dogwood that I found along the Duckabush River Trail in the Olympic National Park. Sorta Christmasy colors.
Devil’s Club is common in some wet areas in the Olympics (and the Cascades). It can form nearly impenetrable thickets … that may not seem too dense, until you notice the large needle-like thorns covering the stems of the plant. The red berries at the top center are distinctive.
Very wide-angle lenses are usually used for distance shots. I liked the effect of using it on clover that was close by. There is obvious distortion on the sides and corners, but all those converging lines draw your attention in to the clover.