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Select or Die

Being addicted to trees, it's often very difficult to select the pictures you want to publish and share with people who like trees too. And the most difficult part, it's usually the selection. Today, I'll try to explain this process...

Saturday morning, I took my camera and wander next to a river close where I live. My addiction to trees is huge and I can usually remember where a specific tree profile (as they are all unique) is located as long I saw it one or two times during summer and winter time.

“Never worry about being obsessive. I like obsessive people. Obsessive people make great art” -- Susan Sontag

Trees have a kind of presence which make them unique depending of the context and framing. Just like people. So taking pictures of them is usually a challenge (even if they don't move) or seem to be stable in the environment.

For the following tree (that I knew for the past few years), such profile is quite common due to the "evolution" of the agriculture. Before being a meadow, it was a field where maize was cultivated. With huge machines, trees are not welcome and farmers tend to cut those and often partially when it's not directly on their fields.

With the surrounding constraints, the tree develops itself and grew. Initially, I wanted to show the contrast between the wildlife and the control of nature. As seen in picture 1, the tree was more far away and you can see the field. But the contrast between the two was not too well marked. On picture 2 and 3, the river helps to stress the contrast between the two parts. If you look carefully, you might see the small path where animals are using to pass by.

3 pictures of the same tree

I took 3 pictures but which one to select?

Why did I select the picture 3 at the end? Because the grasses in front are more exposed and showing more the contrast between the nature and the controlled nature.

Morning Trees

Morning Trees, ƒ/9.0, 14mm, morningtrees on flickr

Selection can be a difficult process but, in my eyes, it's part of the photography act.