While researching images of ancient trees, I came across the work of Beth Moon who has spent many years photographing ancient trees in the UK, USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. So I could appreciate the photographs further, I acquired a copy of Moon’s book Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time. This book features all of the images in this collection, additional information about the individual trees and their locations, plus essays by Todd Forrest and Steven Brown (will be reading these later in the day).
Portraits of Time
Time is the shape of an old oak as the winds caress and sculpt the bark, defining hardship and beauty. Time is the trunk that splits apart in great age to accommodate the tempest. Evidence of time is revealed in the furrowed bark of an ancient tree, gnarled, crooked, and beautiful.
Portraits of Change.
Portraits of Survival.
Portraits of Time.
I’d like to keep a clear picture, so if a tree is destroyed by storm, disease, greed, or lack of concern, I will have a record of its power and beauty for those who were not able to make the journey. I photograph these trees because I know words alone are not enough, and I want their stories to live on. I photograph these trees because they may not be here tomorrow.
(Moon, B. 2020)
What I did observe is that Moon has paired ‘front’ and ‘back’ views of the same tree together.
I had seen this after I had paired these ‘front’ and ‘back’ images of the same tree on 14 December.
There is also a similarity in composition between Moon’s image on the left and my image from 24 November on the right.
Diamond Nights
When looking at Moon’s website, I came across this collection of long-exposure images that capture the stars. This also marked Moon’s move from analogue to digital due to the nature of this photography.
“As night falls over the Makgadikgadi Pans, giant trees stand starkly against the horizon. Leafless branches reach for the light. On the opposite side of the sky, Earth’s shadow is rising. True wildness manifests itself in the form of curling black branches in November, silhouetted against an indigo sky.
Time exposures blend the boundaries between the visible and the invisible. There is a middle zone where splendor comes into being, where two different realities mingle and blur. If magic exists anywhere, it is here.
Our relationship to the wild has always played an important role in my work. This series was inspired by two fascinating, scientific studies that connect tree growth with celestial movement and astral cycles.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have shown that trees grow faster when high levels of cosmic radiation reach the earth’s surface, concluding that cosmic radiation impacts tree growth even more than annual temperature or rainfall. Secondly, renowned researcher, Lawrence Edwards, found that tree buds changed shape and size rhythmically, in regular cycles all through winter, directly correlating to the moon and planets.
David Milarch, founder of the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, has said, “Trees are solar collectors. I believe energies inside the earth are transmuted and transmitted into the cosmos by the trees, so the trees are like antennas, senders, and receivers of earth energies and stellar energies.”
This work marked the transition not only from film to digital capture but also from black-and-white to color. Up until this point the majority of my work was done with a medium format film camera, but the long exposure time needed to photograph at night was not possible with film. Evolving digital technology has produced cameras with features that accommodate these conditions such as lower noise option levels and higher ISO settings.
I used a wide-angle lens and an ISO of 3200 to 6400. Exposures up to thirty seconds allowed enough light to enter the lens without noticeable star movement. Each location required considerable experimentation and different lighting techniques.“
(Moon, B. 2020)
References
Beth Moon. 2020. Artist Statement | Portraits Of Time | Beth Moon. [online] Available at: <https://bethmoon.com/portraits-of-time/artist-statement/> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
Beth Moon. 2020. Beth Moon Photography. [online] Available at: <https://bethmoon.com/> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
Beth Moon. 2020. Artist Statement | Portraits Of Time | Beth Moon. [online] Available at: <https://bethmoon.com/portraits-of-time/artist-statement/> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
Rosenberg, D., 2020. A Gorgeous Look At Some Of The Oldest Trees On Earth. [online] Slate Magazine. Available at: <https://slate.com/culture/2015/01/beth-moon-ancient-trees-portraits-of-time-is-a-14-year-project-of-some-of-the-oldest-trees-on-earth-photos.html> [Accessed 15 December 2020].
Moon, B., 2014. Ancient Trees – Portraits Of Time. New York & London: Abbeville Press Publishers.
Jennie Meadows MA Photography 