Lonely Tree Gallery

My Lonely Tree Gallery represents several things that I love about photography.  I like to pack my photo gear in the truck, pick a direction, and drive with no destination in mind. If you live on the prairies, you know that it will not be long before you encounter a lonely tree. The Lonely Tree Gallery is a study of a lonely tree just west of where I live.

Intensive agriculture means that almost all the trees have been planted for a specific purpose. Farmers plant them as shelter belts around their farms or in long rows to protect fields from wind erosion. Lonely trees also represent a deliberate choice. Brave and stubborn tress that grow on their own remain because the landowner chose to leave them alone. They are a testament to the tenacity of nature and to the respect that prairie people have for the natural world.

In January, the sun is low in the sky. When it is not cloudy, the January sky is a clean, rich blue. I tried to combine those elements into the Lonely Tree Series. Moving close to the tree allowed the trees strength and the pattern of its outstretched branches to contrast with the sky. For me, it is a way to show the kind of strength a living thing needs to survive in the cold, vast, Canadian prairies. I think that the tree was allowed to stand out of respect for that very strength.

Nikon D750 w. Tamron 24-70 f/2.8