Driving through the mountains of Maramures, a county in the northern part of Romania, I had no idea if I could capture an image or a series to convey a sense of the place and time. It was a cold, very foggy late October morning and the visibility was very poor. The forest looked like an impressionist painting covered in various hues and tones from bright yellow to deep orange, punctuated by greens and browns.

Before reaching the point where I was supposed to meet my local friend and guide, I got a glimpse of a stream that was winding up and down through the forest. Maramures was famous in the past for its old and dense forests, a ski resort and impressive mountain vistas.

Equipment details: Nikon D750, Nikon 20mm f/1.8, f/16, 4sec, ISO 50

Landscape Photography Magazine, Issue 127

The light was pretty good, although the fog started to melt away a bit and reveal a white, dull sky.

Susanna Patras

Full Frame
But, unfortunately, the post communism regimes did not do a great job at protecting the environment. Today, half of its forests have vanished. The largest mountain range in Maramures are Rodnei Mountains, home to the second tallest mountain peak in Romania, Pietrosul Rodnei. The forest I found myself hiking through that morning was located at the western edge of Rodnei Mountains and it was a far cry from the past. But still, beautiful.

I managed to get to an opening so I can find a composition by the little stream of water and set up my tripod. The light was pretty good, although the fog started to melt away a bit and reveal a white, dull sky. I only carried with me two lenses, a 20mm prime and a 70-300mm telephoto. While I was testing and refining my shot, my guide caught up with me.

I found some rocks sprinkled with colorful leaves and a few branches that were leaning in over the water that led the eye into the picture. A long exposure complemented the dreamy feeling I had photographing the scene. But I had to act quickly and take my final shot, as my guide warned me he had spotted a wolf wandering around, not far from us. Something that is not unusual in the Carpathian Mountains. This was the last image I took that morning.

The Painted Forest, Interior Scene