Entries tagged "trees"

A couple of very striking trees, each presenting different photographic challenges.

For the first, an Autumn Cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis'), the key was finding an angle where the background best complemented its colours, with helpful shadows contributing to emphasise the leaves. (I would have preferred not having the path in frame, but it is hopefully not too much of a distraction.)

With the larger Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) the consideration was what to keep in frame whilst dealing with the awkwardness of shooting into the light. There was too much movement in the subject for a bracketed exposure, and I settled for a shot with better composition at the expense of the highlights.

I look forward to returning for another attempt at this image at some point in the future.

A panel intended to emphasise feelings, impressions, moods and memories.

View the Panel

Photographs frequently use differential focus and sharpness to communicate their subject, but this was an exercise in not doing so.

The images were selected from a shortlist of about three dozen, each deliberately unfocused at time of shooting (because it's not about any individual tree, branch or leaf), with minimal processing performed, reducing distractions, but not removing flaws, because nature isn't perfect.

Winter can be a beautiful time of year, yet at the same time dark, depressing, crowded, lonely, frustrating; a time of reminiscing, hope, magic, contemplation and despair.

Many of my images explore these themes and emotions. My inspiration is often nature's elegant majesty, unforgiving harshness, silent serenity and more - aspects which are all the more evident during this hindmost season.

Nature can also provide the lesson that, no matter how bad things seem, life endures.
Nothing is forever, the wheel always turns, and what once was comes again.