2017 | Marin County, California
We are favored in California with forests along our striking coastline and the high running range of the Sierra Nevada. In spite of the existential threats of development and accelerated climate change, it is often a simple matter to step out of the modern world into the time and space of trees.
In every tree, growth and evolved structure are obvious, and individual adaptation to soil, slope, moisture, light, and neighbors is a true story. In a forest or grove, tree heritage, community, are culture are right in front of – and all around – me.
Among trees, I appreciate strangers as much as old friends. This picture was made in a familiar place, but every one I have made here over the years has been different. When I stop looking too hard, I can sometimes take in the spirit of this place, with the bundled memories of present and previous inhabitants from the entire spectrum of life. Here, it seems possible to see the forest and the trees.
Making a picture here is a special challenge. Even on days of flat overcast, it is difficult to get my lens to see well. During the day, even with heavy overcast, it’s too harsh for a quiet conversation here. So I come long after sunset, well into astronomical twilight, when the sky sifts down softly. Then, my camera can bring me the round softness of this place, at a time when its character is open and touchable.