1 waterfall 3 seasons
This month, I want to invite you to one of my favorite activities: contemplating seasonal change. Since I started this blog and, later, my youtube channel (go take a look, you won’t regret it!), my life has been following seasons’ tempo. More and more, the trepidations of an urban and always digitally connected life lose their prevalence and give way to the slow cycle of ever changing nature. Far from the majority of my fellow millennials’ concerns, I am coming to desire a life that follows the slow movements of eternal things (at least from our short-lived human perspective), such as mountains, trees, rocks or water. This blog post is yet another praise to the quietness of contemplation. Let me convince you that nature’s immanence can still be ours.
Two years ago, I presented here a waterfall near my home called Moonwon Falls - 문원폭포. I posted these photos of its summer power and elegance. Allow me to “refresh” your memory:
I can’t post all the summer photos in this post so I invite you to revisit them here.
I came back here regularly through the past two years. Either to cool down in the heat of summer, to marvel at fall’s beauty, or to stare in admiration at winter’s frozen reflections. Let me introduce this waterfall again today.
That day, it rained. The humidity in the air, added to that of the waterfall, combined to create a welcomed fleeting mist. Another thing I immediately noticed was that, contrary to summer, foliage is less dense and allows light to enter deeper in the forest. The result is that light illuminates everywhere more or less equally.
Because of the vivid colors, photos are very busy, too much sometimes. Especially when adding the fallen leaves in the mix. I had to look for simpler compositions…
I used the leaves on the ground to emphasize the tortuous path of the water through them, while gladly accepting the help of that diving branch to frame this shot and send your gaze to the falls and the water path..
Mist re-entered the scene. I seized the opportunity and got closer to the liquid furrows and captured the unstoppable effect they had on the carpet of dead leaves. Mist created some feeling of depth, giving the foreground a little more impact.
Like many, I love watching fireworks. Before the first explosion, expectations are beyond high. During the show, I don’t know where to look, every second is a renewed enchantement. Finally, the performance ends and silence remains, only broken by the soft whistling in my ears from the noise.
To me, autumn is very much like fireworks. When summer comes to an end, as soon as temperatures and humidity lower, I only have one thing in mind: leaves changing. During fall I am excited, sometimes uncontrollably so, because I know I will never see enough. Eventually, leaves fall, all calms down until everything becomes quiet and stops. Even waterfalls…
Before the frigid cold of deep winter inevitably settles, snow gives us a sneak peek of the soon coming laid-bare nature. My breath becomes visible and my fingers begin to sting but, luckily, temperatures are still manageable for all the plants that fight their final stand.
While nature prepares its bed for winter, snow will serve as a temporary blanket. Cold hasn’t yet embraced everything, local lives are pushing their vigorous efforts as far as possible. But we know what comes at the end of that transitional period: cold wins. At least for a time…
Previously-exploding water has frozen in place. Colors have disappeared, movement has ceased and cold air has inexorably grasped everything. All is peaceful, cold has put lives to sleep, numbed the senses and frozen water, offering unique details.
On the stream side, ice-encased leaves guide liquid water drops that lost their way under the ice during their way down.
Though all seems suspended, that trees have shed their leaves and that encountering animals is exceptional, there is a life form that thrives through these conditions: algae. They aren’t the most aesthetic subject, their slimy appearance doesn’t help, but they are the only ones that bring color to the otherwise bleak landscape.
I wanted this image to be metaphorical, more than “only visual”. Shapes first attracted me to this corner of the waterfall, especially the inverted triangles in the rock and the algae, followed by the details in the ice. However, in the end, this image represents the implacable winter cold that will, sooner or later, cover all… until spring returns, life between frosted parentheses.
Let me reveal a very poorly guarded secret: Moonwon Falls are actually made of 2 parts. The previous images are of the main fall, higher up the trail. The lower fall is less grand, though perfect for a cool summer swim. There is a rock from which I could get a high angle, a window to the changing of seasons:
For many, winter is a harsh season, feared or outright hated. To me however, it has become an appreciated rest, a few months long respite to refocus on a peaceful introspection, far from the frenzy of other seasons. When the world is bare, only the essence remains: the heart of the living, taking the time of a peaceful interlude to prepare its majestic return.
Map to Moonwon Falls:
Thank you ever so much for traveling through the seasons at this place I cherish. I may be repeating myself, but the change of seasons is, by far, my favorite subject. It taught me to give time the power to direct my actions and not worry about my failures. I also learned to focus on what matters, which, today, is to share with all whom this post will reach a quiet break.
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Here is the video I recorded on the last day of this 3 seasons project, under the falling snow:
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2023!
