Can't see the wood - chapter 1

Are trees my favourite props?

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This tiny Scots Pine tree has begun to grow in a moist cup in a decaying tree

I rediscovered this image during a digital rummage on a hard drive and when I wondered about making it the subject of some blethers it kicked off a whole train of thought about trees in my photography. Once I started looking for more specific tree images I faced an avalanche of examples in my archives and began to wonder if it’s a major influence on me. I mean, does everyone have loads of tree images too, or have I become a dendrophile arboroholic without realising?

I’d spotted this tenacious Scots Pine growing in a moist cup of a decaying tree and afterwards spent a while experimenting with different crops of it. This tight view chops out everything but the vital stuff and gives it an ambiguous perspective. My mind flips between “the tree is normal size” to “the branch is normal size” and back again, with the lichen helping the reality distortion by almost resembling a wee waterfall if you let your mind bend enough.

My brother Graham is a Church of Scotland minister and he asked if he could get a high res copy of the image for a presentation he was doing. I’ve found it to be a rich source of metaphors for the circle of life and tenacity of nature but I never actually read what Graham had come up with - I must remember to ask him.

I’d be delighted if you’d like to describe your own version in the comments below - whether a short sermon or some woody repartee - all are welcome. The full size decaying tree, which I had in my head as an oak, but now looks more like a pine, is on the shore of a wee loch called Monzievard just outside Crieff. Follow this link to find a beautiful hidden spot that has self catering chalets in the non-wintery months, with lots of activities to keep even our mad clan entertained.

(I have to say that it’s so refreshing to be able to put links for external websites without being punished by Facebook or Twitter who will throttle a post that gives someone else publicity)

the whole tree

I use trees as a framing devices a lot in my images and this classic spot in Fife is a favourite for locals - The Kissing Trees - they say that if you kiss under their branches that you will remain together forever, whether you like it or not. There is something about the shape of these that keeps your gaze moving around the image, and I reckon it’s a better shot in Winter than Summer so you get the full tributaries to big river effect with the twigs, branches and trunks.

the Kissing Trees…I love the body language

The shape…the shape of trees is definitely a big thing for me…but sometimes it needs an extra element to reveal the character and possibilities. I’ve seen these trees a hundred times before but only when the moon popped over the horizon did I see the grasping hands…or is it a full set of Alien jaws chomping down?

I’ve taken hundreds of shots of these weather sculpted trees up in the Pentlands in all sorts of weather. Shaped by the wind whistling along the side of this range of hills, it will be no surprise to weather savvy Scots that they lean from SW on the left to NE on the right. I had headed up on this evening because the haar (dense fog that forms over the sea and pushes inland) had started to creep in from the North Sea…then became an unstoppable tsunami gushing towards the sunny slopes. I got to this spot just as the cold haar and warmer sunset air collided - less than a minute later the sun’s light was snuffed from this scene and you could barely see that first tree in the dense fog.

Part 2 will look at colour and texture of our woody companions so here’s a wee tempting colourful snack until then…the cherry blossom on Edinburgh’s “Meadows” is only a few short weeks away. I’m getting excited thinking about it.

Someone emailed to suggest I add a wee tips payment option - for those of you who don’t want to subscribe but would like to offer something as a “Cheers mate, enjoyed that” option. So here it is.