Beyond an Ocean of Trees

This photo was taken while traveling to the quaint, mountain town of Anapoima, Colombia. Using my iPhone, I was able to capture the beauty that is this hidden lagoon nestled here in the Andes Mountains.

This mountainous region of Colombia remains fairly remote; a 20-30 mile journey that’s extended to a few hours due to the seemingly endless winding road that weaves in and out of the mountainside.

This hidden gem of Anapoima has remained my stepfather’s “best kept secret” since growing up in the neighboring capital Bogota many years ago. It so amazing how much altitude can impact an environment’s climate. For being so close to the cold, gray metropolis that is Bogota, it is almost magic how beautifully tropical the environment shown in this photo is. I grew up in Florida, and because of how flat this part of the United States it was mind opening to be able to physically acknowledge and experience a range of environments in such close proximity that is are unique to this part of the world.

This specific shot was taken outside of the town center, just off an isolated dirt path and creeps down the mountain near this lagoon. Slowly crawling down the mountainside, navigating between the rugged rock wall on the left and steep drop on the right, the car was eerily silent. Our anxiety, though, quickly sequestered by the amazing harmony that existed between the chirping of tropical birds combined with the rushing water of the river down below. This journey was quick to remind us of how we, as individuals, are all subject to the forces of mother nature.

Finally we reached our destination; an isolated finca overlooking the lagoon. The scene of grand, lush green mountains surrounding us overhead and blue, rushing water down below seemed something out of a dream. It was one of those moments where there’s nothing you want to do except sit there and take it in; and that’s exactly what I did the first few days of our excursion. Our little utopian oasis. This perfect landscape I felt was something I had to capture before I left, hopefully with the goal in harnessing this same feeling so that every time either I would see it of show it to someone else, that same sensation would be emitted again, enabling a sense of immersion to be attained.

When reviewing the photo, I noticed that the colors were so vibrant through the human eye that it was something I wanted to replicate through the lens of my phone camera, something which I felt was lacking. In order to reanimate the liveliness of the natural environment in my photo, all I had to to was subtly increase the vibrancy in the photo using the basic iPhone editing toggle. That’s it. I wanted to celebrate the purity of this rich environment; that what is seen in the photo can be seen exactly in reality. Those are my favorite types of photos; photos that are honest in what they’re depicting, that showcase the beauty of the natural world for what it is and enable the opportunity for viewers to travel to that same location and witness almost identically what was seen in the photograph.

So now, every time I view this photo, I am transported back to this same utopia where I can appreciate it all over again, longing to return in person and appreciate again with my own eyes.