The Landscape Always Changes

One thing that a photographer hears frequently is ‘photograph it now, because it might not be the same when you come back (or it might not even be there at all)’. But, except for changing light and changing seasons, we don’t usually think of that warning in terms of the landscape. But, as I have discovered, that’s not always the case.

For many, many years there was a wetland area that I frequently photographed in Western Pennsylvania’s Moraine State Park. It seemed to change very little for as long as I could remember, This is one of the photographs I took of the area during those years. It was a foggy fall day and there was plenty of water.

However, seemingly mysteriously, at some point a few years ago the location went dry. As far as I could tell there had been no diversions of any local streams or anything of that sort to explain it. Then, oddly, many months later it was a wetlands again. Just as it had been. And it stayed that way for what seemed like a year or two. Then, recently, this:

As it happens, just a few weeks later I found myself passing the same location and was again amazed at the change. I took a quick cell phone photo:

In just a short time, life had taken over. It was now a field of growth instead of drying out mud. What will it look like in a few weeks from now? Will it ever return to being a wetland as it has in the past? It’s made that return before. I don’t know. But it will most definitely be interesting to see what happens.

Oh, and photograph things while you can, because they might just change! They might not even be there at all. Even landscapes.

Nature ImagesHoward GSeptember 24, 2021Moraine State Park6 Comments

The Landscape Always Changes

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