Redwood Magic: Humboldt County, California

Redwood Magic, originally uploaded by Della Huff Photography.

The giant redwood forests of Humboldt County are one of my favorite places in California. They're just magical. It's easy to imagine fairies or elves running around in the wood sorrel and ferns carpeting the forest floor.

It's also incredibly lush and green. This photo was taken last summer when California's drought was particularly severe.

Photographing forests is tricky because of the dark shadows and low light. You definitely need a tripod, and the best time to photograph is soon at dawn and dusk to get as even lighting as possible. A really overcast day can do the trick, too. Either way, you'll probably need a long exposure, which means you'll need calm winds if you don't want motion blur in your image.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-70L, f/16 @ 8s, ISO 50. No filters.