by Steve Tanham
I find a nobility in winter trees. They endure the brutal weather, but show us, in that endurance, their purpose in revealed structure…
(140 words, a one-minute read)
The inner process of leaf-life to come is laid bare as the rain howls and the wind tests whether this year will be the last.
Below the ground, the vast spread of roots has a life of its own, keeping the inner fire of life safe from the killer frosts and seeping ice.
Black and white techniques can help portray the emotional encounter between photographer and subject, helping to convey the starkness of the form. But there is colour, too, if you seek out the contrasts…
©Copyright Stephen Tanham, 2020.
Stephen Tanham is a Director of the The Silent Eye, a journey through the forest of personality to the sunrise of being.
Sun in Gemini 
Glorious images of one of my favourites … trees…Merry Christmas 🙂
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Thank you, Carol! I do seem to have a nice ‘collection’ of special trees… and love them all. You have a great Christmas, too. Boris has cancelled most of ours… much love ❤️
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I know I listened to him this morning early…sigh..I just wish people had done the right thing and all this would be unnecessary ….Merry Christmas Steve 🙂 x
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Nice trees, Steve. I’m going through a bit of a tree period myself at the moment. I think winter brings out their character more and the shape of them engages more with us, subliminally, than when they’re under summer foliage.
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I agree Michael. There is no much to contemplate in a winter tree’s form. I love overlaying the silhouette of a solid tree, say an oak, over another image and letting the layers mingle in a blend. I don’t post them here, because I want to keep it just for the photographer’s art, but it’s a rich, secondary resource. Happy Retirement, by the way… hopefully you had a ‘floating on air’ week!
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Thank you Steve, yes. Even the incessant rain this past week has done nothing to dampen that feeling.
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Great! Make it healthy and long… I think your interests will assure that.
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I love trees in winter, they really do look noble, Steve… Our Christmas has been squashed too, but we must try to enjoy ourselves somehow…
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Thank you, Jaye – and for the kind reblog. It’s lovely to share that ‘next level’ awareness of something as magnificent as trees. Happy Christmas to you and Anita xx
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We wish you a lovely Christmas, Steve…and a better new year!
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Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie ~ Authors.
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Beautiful photos. The bones of trees are a wonder. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe. They truly are – and a fractal structure, too. We’re looking at a wonder of nature, even though it appears to be passive! 😊
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Fabulous Steve.
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Thank you, Di – and Happy Christmas😎
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You too Steve. Hugs and treats by proxy to your fur babies.
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Thank you, Di. Happy memories of Maggie x
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We do indeed have plenty of those Steve. Thank you. 🙂
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Wonderful photos. Hope 2021 will treat you well!
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Thank you. Maja. I hope 2021 is a peaceful and fulfilling year for you, too.
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