“If an element of nature is somehow allowing us to access something bigger, that is its spiritual component made manifest.  It awards us a glimpse of the unseen.”  –Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

Maidenhair Ferns are a bit of a personal obession of mine, at least for the past couple years.  Finding and photographing their juvenile form–the spiraling, unfurling, translucent, fan-shaped baby leaves and stems.  They unlock something inside of me.  I’m excited to find them and I look forward to meeting them each year.  Their beauty speaks to me.  Strong, yet delicate.  Varied.  Intricate.  Just small enough to go unnoticed, largely.  Once found, however, irresistible not to hunt for more, to revel in their temporary forms and patterns.

Nearly a month earlier in March I searched these same lands along the base of the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment for the juvenile Maidenhair Fern without success.  I figured I would miss their early growth this year, and that was a disappointment.  Returning to South Carolina in mid-April, I made it a point to stop along Eastatoe Creek, one of a few places I really enjoy photographing these plants.  I was delighted to find I was right on time!  Mother Nature has been trending a bit behind previous years with growth and flower this year, I think.  I settled into a beautiful rhythm photographing these tiny plants, realizing their abundance on the sloping hillsides could easily match my interest on this sunny, spring afternoon.

Camera:  Canon 5DSr
Lens:  Canon 65mm mpe
Tripod:  handheld w/ flash

Date taken:  April 13, 2025
Settings:  f14, 1/250 second, iso 100