'The Last Stand' (2021)

Edition: NFT 1/1

Artist: Shaun Stewart

I parked my car and set off into the adjacent forest, treading carefully on the spongey forest floor. It was quiet, no sounds but the distant birdsong and the rustle of the wind through towering branches. I stopped to catch my breath.

The crisp winter air began to warm as the sun climbed higher into the sky. I could see water evaporating from the dense foliage and mosses that blanketed nearly everything in sight. A subtle mist hung in the air as I wandered into this mossy grove.

A gap in the clouds allowed the sun to shine through the canopy, bathing the rainforest in its golden light. Hurriedly, I set up my tripod and composed the shot. I captured a few frames before the sun went behind the clouds, the light quickly fading to shadow. These magical moments make me grateful that I am a photographer living in one of the most beautiful locations on the planet.