As I have been talking about Winter Landscapes this week it seems to me that the next subject to talk about is the trees. I have always lived in the mountains so naturally i have been spoiled with great pine trees that have loomed over me in all seasons. Each season tells a different story and in Winter it becomes very dramatic.
It starts with just one tree. Now it can’t be just any tree, it has to have a story around it. Something that grabs the attention or makes the scene interesting. Snow adds the drama by collecting on the needles creating that great Christmas look. Of course it doesn’t take long for the snow to start to melt and the branch naturally bends and the snow falls away. So after a big storm is the best time to be looking.
When that right spot comes along where the tress meld together in just the right way that makes it interesting. It no longer becomes just one tree but a compilation of shapes that continues to go back further and further up the hillside.
After a while the whole image turns into a natural black and white. With the trunks in shadow and the snow bringing the branches to life. A pattern emerges of cold beauty. The tall limb of life standing planted in the icy snow. One by One.
In the end it becomes just like a painting. Never knowing where the end is or where it started. To me these forests always looked like someone took a sponge of dark green paint and just blotted it against a white canvas, or vise versa. It is the beauty of the natural world.
In the Camera Bag:
Nikon D3, 70-200 VRII, on Lexar UDMA Digital Film