Anytime I travel, even if I’m in a big city, I look for areas of nature nearby.
When visiting my daughter in Brussels in December, I began searching Google maps for any such nearby area. To my surprise, I found a large tract of forest to the south and southwest of the city called the Sonian Forest.
Throughout the 10,920-acre forest, there is a network of trails and roads (closed to motorized vehicles) that criss-cross the area.
Upon further research, I found I could take public transportation southeast to the outskirts of Brussels to access the forest. From this point, I mapped out a route through the woods to the south edge of Brussels, where I could again access public transportation.
On a day my wife and daughter planned for a shopping trip in Brussels, I decided to venture out for a day photographing and hiking in nature.
It was clear and cold, with temperatures in the upper 20’s. In addition to the frosty conditions, in many areas, there was a layer of fog hanging throughout the forest.
With a days’ supply of water and food in my backpack, I arrived at my destination at first light and started my hike.
My route started out on a cobblestone road and eventually transitioning to single lane gravel and dirt roads.
Navigation was easy utilizing my iPhone and the well-marked trail system.
Because my trip was on a weekday, the numbers of people enjoying nature were minimal, considering how close to a major city this forest is located.
It was late autumn, and with a few exceptions, most of the leaves from the abundant beech trees had already fallen. This region would be beautiful to visit when the fall colors are at their peak.
For the entire day, I estimated that I walked approximately 10 miles before arriving at my daughter’s apartment just before dark.
I was only able to explore a small portion of the Sonian Forest. There were features and attractions I later found were missed and hope to revisit at some point in the future.
Artistic Notes.
From my personal artistic perspective, I was fortunate to have light foggy conditions for the first part of the day, softening the light and simplifying the scene.
Compared to the Pacific Northwest forests, there is minimal ground cover. Because of this, it was much easier to create a composition focusing on the stands of beech trees.
When photographing forest scenes, I often look for openings or other changes in the terrain. This may consist of meadows, lakes, creeks, trails, and roads that break up the scene.
The trees themselves also make a great subject. At times its just one large tree as the subject. Other times, I like to photograph a group of trees that stand out from the background. Sometimes I’ll find a cluster of trees that almost make an abstract of patterns and shades of light and dark.
If you’re interested in purchasing a fine art print from this collection, please visit https://www.stevebisigphotography.com/late-autumn-walk-through-the-sonian-forest-belgium-2019
Thank you for taking the time to read.
