NATURE'S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY
HIGHLY HONORED

Dogwood and Sequoia Trees and Mule Deer

Cornus alternifolia, Sequoia sempervirens and Odocoileus hemionus

Learn more about Cornus alternifolia, Sequoia sempervirens and Odocoileus hemionus from the Encyclopedia of Life

Sequoia National Park,
California, USA
By Floris van Breugel
Walnut Creek, California, USA

Famous for its towering sequoia trees, the Sequoia National Park in the south-central area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range offers visitors a fascinating view of nature at its best. Growing to heights more than 300 feet and with cinnamon-colored trunks reaching diameters up to 36 feet, these sequoias are some of the largest trees in the world. Ideal climactic conditions allow many species of trees and plants to flourish abundantly along the parks’ trails.

“In late May, the dogwoods burst into bloom amid the giant sequoias. Delicate white flowers add striking contrast to the magical forest setting. After shooting this composition all afternoon, I thought I had captured it perfectly. But just as I was leaving, two mule deer completed the scene.” —FvB

Canon 5D; 24-105mm lens at 65mm; two exposures: 2.5 sec at ƒ/16 and 0.3 sec at ƒ/16; ISO 100 and 800; polarizer; Feisol CF 3442 tripod; Markins M20 head.