When people think of the scenic beauty of Napa Valley, they traditionally picture the classic vineyard shot. But if you are lucky enough to spend more than the occasional weekend up in those hills, you will discover that there is much, much more to this area than is typically included in the travel brochure.

This particular area around Lake Hennessey is an untouched gem, and contains so many different types of ecological beauty that it’s hard to believe you’re still in the same place sometimes. One moment you will be in dry grass at the lake’s shore, and then you cross a stream and transition to an incredibly lush, mossy oak forest.

The path winds up and through a lush forest of oak trees covered in moss, tall grass, and purple flowers unlike anything I have ever seen before. In the late afternoon, the sun dips below the trees, and the entire forest takes on a magically vibrant, backlit glow. This was unlike anything I had ever seen, and so it was here that I decided that I would take the time to capture a VAST photo of this incredible place.

I waded into the grass and scoured the entire area to find the perfect location. Because it was important for me to make sure the entire scene was in focus and as sharp as could be, it took a number of tries to get everything right. Once I had all my settings perfected, I captured the twenty-one individual photos that I would use to comprise this vibrant VAST photo.