Back to the Forest Photography / Vivian Blanco
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backtotheforest.net
Back to the Forest Photography / Vivian Blanco
@backtotheforest.net
210 followers 76 following 140 posts
Puertorriqueña, holistic family doc turned nature photographer in the US Pacific NW.
Go. Outside. Often.
The rest of the time, invite nature indoors. Visit backtotheforest.net for metal & fine art prints of flora, fauna, fungi, & landscapes.
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"Nancy's Camellia"
My friend Nancy gifted me this fall-blooming camellia in 2022. The pixie redhead human passed away a year ago today, but her namesake lives on, bringing color & joy fall-spring, while the rest of the our #garden hibernates.
#flor #macro #photography #BloomScrolling #art #peace
"Nancy's Camellia" Macro (extreme close-up) of a deep pink camellia flower, its petals glistening with many differently-sized raindrops. Its yellow, pollen-laden anthers are partially revealed in the left center. The bloom is framed by green leaves below and to the left and by an out-of-focus camellia flower in the left upper corner of the background.
May 6, 2025 at 3:55 PM
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"Sempervivum Celebration"

Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.
Maya Angelou

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #simplicity #oneness #hope #art #BloomScrolling
"Sempervivum Celebration" Cluster of pink- and mauve-colored Hens and Chicks flowers in the center of the frame, each bloom resembling a crown. The elongated, pointy petals are decorated with longitudinal pale lines and uniformly covered with fine white hairs. Many long, maroon, spiky filaments support bright yellow pollen-laden anthers. The soft, ethereal background contains different shades of greens and light pinks.
May 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
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"Trapper Creek Wilderness Waterfall"

I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.
John O’Donohue

#WaterfallWednesday #hiking #senderismo #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #photography #fotografia #waterfall #cascada #Zen #peace #paz #stillness #PNW
Long, thin waterfall in Washington State (US Pacific Northwest), flowing down a vertical rocky cliff, forking or splitting slightly about 3/4 of the way down, and framed on either side by young evergreen trees and other vegetation.
April 30, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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"Siberian Iris Extravaganza"

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
Rumi

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #iris #garden #jardin #Zen #BloomScrolling #art #Rumi #joy #dance
"Siberian Iris Extravaganza" Macro (extreme close-up) of a raindrop-decorated Iris sibirica flower. Its drapIng, violet-colored falls or sepals (lower petals) have prominent darker veins contrasted against the white and yellow-orange signal (colorful patch near the center of the bloom). Its paler standards (upper petals) are upright, interspersed by the lavender blue-nearly white style arms. The entire composition gives the illusion of joyful motion or dance. Other Siberian irises and deep green iris leaves are seen in the background.
April 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
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"Living in Community"

In the end, that's what we all need more than anything else: to be there for each other, in every kind of situation.
Pema Chödrön

#FungiFriday #forest #bosque #nature #naturephotography #fungi #hongos #mushroom #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #oneness #kindness
"Living in Community" Macro (extreme close-up) of a cluster of small, oblong mushrooms in a moss-carpeted forest. Their pale orange, flattened teardrop-shaped caps have a network of white mycelia covering them and sit atop long yellow-green stems.
April 25, 2025 at 7:26 PM
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"Calendula Caress"

When we hug, our hearts connect, & we know that we are not separate beings
Thich Nhat Hanh

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #garden #jardin #kindness #gratitude #compassion #oneness #peace #paz #art #BloomScrolling
"Calendula Caress" Close-up of a calendula flower, occupying the left three-quarters of the frame. Its numerous, wide-open, oblong, pointy petals are nearly white at the periphery of the bloom and become increasingly darker inward toward the center. There, the yet unopened burnt-orange petals touch each other at the core, reminding us of a warm, loving hug. The soft background has very diffuse and ethereal shades of greens and blues.
April 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM
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"The earth is our mother"
Chief Seattle

Every day is Earth Day.
Connect to the joy & peace within you, & spread love & kindness to all living beings.

#flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #nature #Zen #stillness #kindness #gratitude #compassion #EarthDay #peace #paz #art
"Climbing with Pacific Tree Frog" Macro (extreme close-up) of a tiny, yellow-green Pacific tree frog on the left, perched atop an iris leaf, mostly facing right and looking slightly downward. The background has other iris leaves, out of focus, while the foreground contains a blurred fuchsia-colored iris blossom peeking from the left upper corner of the frame. "Mt Adams reflected on Crystal Lake at sunset" The pinnacle of Mt Adams is seen aglow in shades of reddish-orange against a pale blue sky and reflected off the perfectly still lake water. Evergreen trees line the distant shore of Crystal Lake closest to the mountain and are also reflected off the water surface. In the foreground right lower corner, there are some rocks, a small log, and some ground vegetation. Close-up of two slightly intertwined white Chionodoxa (Glory-of-the-Snow) flowers, almost appearing to be dancing side-by-side with each other. "Looking Up at the Canopy" Photo looking upward, surrounded by a cluster of tall Douglas fir trees with reddish-brown bark. Beyond their canopy is a blue sky splashed by a few white clouds.
April 22, 2025 at 7:16 PM
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"Easter Fairy Bee"

May our heart’s garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.
Thich Nhat Hanh

#fauna #photography #fotografia #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #macro #macrophotography #Zen #stillness #peace #paz #hope #bee #easter #BloomScrolling #FlowersOnSunday #ThichNhatHanh
"Easter Fairy Bee" Close-up of an orange-rumped bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus?) in Western Washington State in spring, approaching a grape hyacinth (muscari) amongst pink tulip buds. Out-of-focus white and yellow daffodils and green vegetation are seen in the background."Easter Fairy Bee" Close-up of an orange-rumped bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus?) in Western Washington State in spring, approaching grape hyacinths (muscari) amongst pink tulip buds. Out-of-focus white-and-yellow daffodils and green vegetation are seen in the background.
April 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
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"Pacific Tree Frog on Iris leaf"

Clarity and decisiveness come from the willingness to slow down, to listen and look at what’s happening.
Pema Chödrön

#fauna #frog #rana #photography #fotografia #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #PNW #macro #macrophotography #Zen #stillness #peace #paz #art
"Pacific Tree Frog on Iris leaf" Macro (extreme close-up) of a lime-colored Pacific tree frog looking straight at the camera, its fingers curled over the top of the iris leaf upon which it is perched. In the blurry foreground, deep pink-to-purple iris flowers flank the frog on either side.
April 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
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"Rebirth"

Hearts rebuilt from hope resurrect dreams killed by hate.
Aberjhani

#FungiFriday #forest #bosque #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #fungi #hongos #mushroom #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #Zen #stillness #hope #compassion #oneness #art #peace #paz #kindness
"Rebirth" A cluster of 3 golden-colored, scaly Pholiota mushrooms emerge from the center of a decomposing tree. The mushroom caps are dusted with minute pieces of brown and black tree wood debris. Some areas of the intact tree bark are decorated by green moss.
April 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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"Delightful Xerochrysum"

Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.
Pema Chödrön

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #peace #paz #stillness #kindness #art #BloomScrolling
"Delightful Xerochrysum" Macro (extreme close-up) of a strawflower bud partway through the process of blooming, as the petals peel away from the central dome to lie flat and radiate outward from the core. Its numerous oblong petals are a deeper pink at the pointy tips, becoming paler moving inward, and transitioning all the way to bright white as they reach the center of the flower. The soft background has different shades of yellow-green, plus a blurry pink flower in the left lower corner.
April 16, 2025 at 7:36 PM
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"Dicksonia antarctica (Tasmanian tree fern)"

Let your curiosity be greater than your fear./Deja que tu curiosidad sea mayor que tu miedo.
Pema Chödrön

#photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #peace #stillness #hope #art #fern
"Dicksonia antarctica (Tasmanian tree fern)" Macro (extreme close-up) of a Tasmanian tree fern fiddlehead, with its hairy stem and branches supporting its spiral fractals. Adult fern fronds provide contrast in the background.
April 15, 2025 at 7:48 PM
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"Awe & Reverence on the Cedar Lake Way Trail"

When will you begin that long journey into yourself?
Rumi

#MountainMonday #hiking #senderismo #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #fotografia #montaña #Zen #stillness #simplicity #peace #paz #PNW #ONP
"Awe & Reverence on the Cedar Lake Way Trail" (Olympic National Park) On a trail winding its way through a grassy alpine meadow, a lone hiker stands in wonder and admiration, gazing past a creek toward a craggy mountain range in the distance. Sub-alpine fir trees are seen on both sides of the frame. Blue sky peeks through the clouds.
April 14, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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"Ringing the Summer Snowflake Bell"

You're never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true.
Richard Bach

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #garden #jardin #Zen #hope #art #BloomScrolling #FlowersOnSunday
"Ringing the Summer Snowflake Bell" Macro (extreme close-up) of the spring-blooming Leucojum aestivum flower dangling from its dark green stem. An oval-shaped, pear-green spot decorates each brilliant white petal near its slightly ruffled, somewhat pointy tip. The background contains soft shades of olive green, dusky mauve, gray, and light pistachio green.
April 13, 2025 at 8:35 PM
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"Buoyant Blackberry Lily"

Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.
Rumi

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #peace #paz #stillness #simplicity #art #BloomScrolling #FlowersOnFriday
"Buoyant Blackberry Lily" Vibrant and boldly exotic-looking flower, reminiscent of an orchid, with 6 slender, oblong, light-orange petals decorated by scarlet-red spots. A very long stamen protrudes from the center of the bloom encircled by 3 much shorter pollen-filled stamens. Two unopened buds wait patiently just to the right of the blossom, and the background is streaked with many shades of green from out-of-focus vegetation.
April 11, 2025 at 5:06 PM
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"Poppy Cancan Dancer"

I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy.
Richard Bach

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #garden #jardin #Zen #simplicity #peace #art #BloomScrolling
"Poppy Cancan Dancer" Macro (extreme close-up) of a poppy flower with very wavy, almost ruffled, deep pink-on-white petals that appear to be in motion. The center of the bloom shows whitish-to-pale-lavender anthers surrounding the shocking pink, star-shaped, fuzzy stigma. The background contains a hairy, spiky leaf in sharp focus in the left upper corner; ethereal, blurry greens border the rest of the blossom.
April 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM
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"Chionodoxa Dancing Troupe"

What matters is how quickly you do what your soul directs.
Rumi

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #Rumi #peace #paz #simplicity #hope #art #BloomScrolling
"Chionodoxa Dancing Troupe" Close-up of a cluster of raindrop-covered Chionodoxa or Glory-of-the-Snow flowers resembling a dancing troupe striking a pose. The outer half of each flower is blue sometimes tending toward violet, yet their centers are white with creamy yellow anthers just emerging. The background has out-of-focus vegetation in various shades of green.
April 8, 2025 at 10:29 PM
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"Klickitat/Pahto (Mt Adams) pinnacle at sunset"

All you need to know is that the future is wide open, & you are about to create it by what you do.
Pema Chödrön

#MountainMonday #hiking #senderismo #nature #naturaleza #landscape #photography #fotografia #montaña #Zen #hope #stillness #peace #PNW
"Klickitat/Pahto (Mt Adams) pinnacle at sunset" The pinnacle of the mountain is seen aglow in reddish-orange hues against a powder blue sky. Glaciers and patches of snow are visible on the rugged, moonscape-like surface of the higher elevations, and clusters of fir trees grow in the lower, less steep areas. In the foreground lower right corner is a rocky outcropping with sparse, low vegetation.
April 7, 2025 at 6:34 PM
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"The Embrace of the Bearded Iris"

The air that you breathe is nature, as is the breathing process itself.
Eckhart Tolle

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #art #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #iris #garden #jardin #peace #BloomScrolling #FlowersOnSunday #SundayYellow
"The Embrace of the Bearded Iris" Close-up of the inner anatomy of a white, yellow, and orange bearded iris flower. There are many intricate and delicate textures, folds, curves, spots, and structures. The beards resemble sea anemones. The style arms (inner petal-like structures) are curled in at their spiky ends, like hugging arms. There are some hints of deep mauve color at the center, from where the style arms emerge. The lower left corner of the photo has some blurred green, black, and orange in the background.
April 6, 2025 at 5:25 PM
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"Ocean Spray Leaves"

In the blackest of your moments, wait with no fear. / En tus momentos más negros, espera sin miedo.
Rumi

#photography #fotografia #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #bosque #forest #woods #spring #Zen #peace #paz #stillness #Rumi #hope #art
"Ocean Spray Leaves" Close-up of 3 ocean spray leaves emanating from a single stem, their jagged edges, veins, and lime-green color glowing against a black background due to the effect of backlighting.
April 4, 2025 at 5:21 PM
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"Pale Pink Sweet William Trio"

Feeling the oneness of yourself with all things is true love.
Eckhart Tolle

#flower #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #Zen #stillness #oneness #hope #peace #paz #BloomScrolling
"Pale Pink Sweet William Trio" Macro (extreme close-up) of 3 small Sweet William flowers (Dianthus barbatus), their petals creating concentric circles of pink hues: nearly white on the fringed outer petal edges, hotter pink/magenta on the more ill-defined subsequent circle, then sharply-demarcated pale pink, with more duskiness in the core of the middle flower. White filaments support a few plum-colored anthers at the center of each bloom. Lime green bracts as well as some unopened buds appear from beneath and between the blossoms. The background has a dreamy quality composed of many shades of green.
April 2, 2025 at 11:02 PM
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"Respecting Our Elders on the Queets River Trail"

If you touch one thing with deep awareness, you touch everything.
Thich Nhat Hanh

#ThickTrunkTuesday #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #photography #fotografia #forest #bosque #trees #arboles #Zen #stillness #PNW #ONP #landscapephotography
"Respecting Our Elders on the Queets River Trail" An enormous old-growth Sitka Spruce tree, being revered by a humbled hiker, standing in awe, looking upward at its magnificence. The tree trunk is very scaly, textured, and segmented into vertical sections. There is a hollow entrance at the leftmost section of its base easily large enough for a human to duck inside if inclined. The scene is enhanced by western swordferns and other green, low-growing vegetation, smaller evergreen and deciduous trees, and bright light with blue sky in the background.
April 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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"Klickitat/Pahto (Mt Adams) reflected on Crystal Lake in early twilight"

Let silence take you to the core of life./Deja que el silencio te lleve al centro de la vida.
Rumi

#MountainMonday #hiking #senderismo #montaña #nature #naturaleza #landscape #photography #fotografia #PNW #Rumi #peace #paz
"Klickitat/Pahto (Mt Adams) reflected on Crystal Lake in early twilight" The pinnacle of the mountain is seen aglow in reddish-orange hues against a pale blue sky and reflected by the perfectly still water of the small alpine lake. Fir trees line the opposite shore of Crystal Lake beneath the mountain and are also reflected by the water's surface. In the foreground right lower corner is a rocky outcropping with sparse, low vegetation and a small log.
March 31, 2025 at 8:16 PM
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"Hummingbird Approaching Bee Balm"

The struggle ends when gratitude begins./La lucha termina cuando la gratitud comienza.
Neale Donald Walsch

#fauna #flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #nature #naturaleza #naturephotography #garden #jardin #gratitude #hummingbird #BloomScrolling
"Hummingbird Approaching Bee Balm" Female rufous hummingbird caught in mid-flight, about to make contact with a raspberry-red monarda flower (bee balm) surrounded by many other similar blooms. The background contains soft shades of green, yellow, white, and brown.
March 25, 2025 at 7:48 PM
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"Red Gladiolus 'Atom' Puppy Face"

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, & if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.
Dalai Lama

#flor #flowerphotography #photography #fotografia #macrophotography #nature #naturaleza #garden #jardin #compassion #BloomScrolling #FlowersOnSunday
"Red Gladiolus 'Atom' Puppy Face" Macro (extreme close-up) of a gladiolus blossom, emanating from a long, horizontal, multi-bloom spike. The flower is prominent, with bold, rain-covered, red petals, each bordered by a thin, white edge that bleeds slightly inward via delicate veins. The orientation of the blossom's 3 visible petals is reminiscent of a young dog's sad face, nose pointing toward the viewer and downward, ears pointing to each side, and serendipitously positioned raindrops for eyes.
March 23, 2025 at 8:15 PM