Gnarly Tree, Harkness St. Pk
Most times, at least with my imagery the center or interest is clear with the goal of creating viewer’s interest. Circling back around to enjoy the subtle secondary parts of an image lead to the success of all visual art. Other times, the mystery of chaos can be the driving force to “see” deeper, surely this image is the latter. This single gnarly tree image is the result of a quadrant of trees that has long fascinated me to make an ultra wide-angle shot with my film camera laying on the ground looking skyward. The pending sale of my 5×7 Chamonix view camera would provide motivation, and the urgency to take the 50 minute ride from home. A cloudy, as it turned out, windy morning was all that remained before the funds were to be transferred to my account, and in good faith would not longer be my camera.
An overcast morning allowed for a later arrival around 9:30 am, 90 minutes after the park gates were opened. The trees are not far from Long Island Sound where an open field would allow the winds off the water to sweep in unobstructed. While the winds would not impact a cell phone or digital camera they certainly would when using a view camera with an ultra wide 90mm lens and an aperture of f 22. 
I spent a good hour simply laying the Iphone on the ground pointing skyward and marking the exact location so I could later position the view camera in the exact same location, a screenshot of a dozen or so of the 40+ cell phone shots I took for exact positioning of the film camera is below. The cell phone look laying on the ground was not what I had envisioned. Shifting to make some-type of image of the gnarly tree branches produced the opening image of this month’s Story Behind.
So, still with the wide-angle look in mind to capture as much character of the bizarre branches of this wonderful tree I set-up with my back to a thorny arched vine. Even with the 90mm lens I was not able to completely capture all the character I’d hoped for without loosing the battle with the thorny vine. Now ready to shoot, holding the shutter release cable half cocked for minutes in the hopes the wind would relent for just a second, it never did. With my hand growing cold I decided this simply was not going to work. I made only one negative and intentionally used a longer shutter speed to exaggerate the movement of the foreground white flowers. Discouraged, I packed up and left for home.
The irony of the funds $$ not being transferred to the new owner in a timely manner left the next morning as a last opportunity to use “my camera”. Another cloudy day was on tap and I arrived at the Harkness State Park before the gates opened @ 8am. Fortunately, this would be a calm day, but not without a little added bonus, at least for this day in the form of perfect timing!
I approached this shot a bit differently due to the thorny overhang I wrestled with the previous day, seen in the adjacent photo. On this day the 110mm lens would be my choice allowing me to be on the other side of the thorny vine. There were a few thorny branches hanging now in front of the camera, I would interlace them with the vine closest to the wooden arch alleviating the issue. However, as seen in the adjacent image made up of 3 photos, a leafy branch high and to the left from the tree itself was now hanging in the camera’s line of sight. I couldn’t simply break or cut the tiny branch given the conservationist in me. Fortunately, I had some cord on my backpack that I could tie the hanging branch up and out of the way while I made my 1/4 second exposure on this much calmer morning.
The Early bird gets the Worm played out almost down to a matter of seconds ! Just as I was ready to make the exposure the hazy sun peeked through the thin layer of clouds. Notice the faint shadows in the opening image, without an explanation the benefit would likely go unnoticed. That short lived hazy sun would create a subtle backlit effect to each tree branch. The importance of that hazy sun is clearly seen in the 5×12″ perspective image closing out this month’s Story Behind Every Photograph. The slight increase in reflection front the very top of the tree limbs would actually serve to separate and created roundness for each tree limb from one another. In a 2 dimensional photograph those branches and their tonalities would simply merge together. Subtle little lighting tricks most times only a true photographer understands, and strives to carry off in a piece of flat art. Unfortunately, economizing on weight, I left the 5×12 back and film holders home, this is an enlargement from the 5×7 negative in the perspective of a 5×12″ negative !
5×12″ Perspective, Gnarly Tree
Absolutely intriguing! For as many times as I have photographed high school seniors in this magnificent
100+ yearold Japanese maple, with the Sun illuminating it and from various angles, I never saw this one! It figures your creative genius would! Bravo, my friend.
It’s still a lovely image, Steve. If we could, we would never sell any photography gear and would always have every piece of that equipment with us at every shoot. The image certainly works in a pano format.
Thanks for commenting on the Blog, always appreciate hearing from peers. The View Camera will always be my favorite !!
Stay well,
SS
I know of this pet cemetery and have seen it long ago, but it still looks unchanged. Of course, gnarly doesn’t happen overnight… Your tenacity for achieving a special moment in time is certainly admirable. I really enjoy the back story almost as much as the photo. Superb,SS!
Steve you are the consummate chef dedicated to pre and post visual presentation. Your thoughtful process exemplifies why every step is crucial to creating hand made fine art photographs. Without any compromise.
In These current times of corporate persuasion, we are inundated with computer binary processed images that speak with out any soul.
You remind us to keep our vision truthful one image at a time and to find the real beauty that makes black and white photographs as they are meant to be. One of a kind and hand made made from scratch. I look forward to seeing your next journey.
Thanks so much Carl for those inspiring words, hopefully you will appreciate next month’s story as I try to “add” into the workflow of a digital camera. As I get older the backpack at times can be added friction to the process. Wet processed Silver or Palladium will always be my end process.
Stay well and inspired,
SS
I love that image, Steve! So much motion as the eye just swirls around those branches. I chuckled to myself when reading about the thorny branches recalling a question I always ask in my own LF photography: Why is the best place to stand almost always in the most inconvenient spot?
Thanks for another great story!
Thanks for reaching out Alan, it does seem that LF photography is always just a bit more trying than other types.
Stay Well,
SS
Chaos indeed. That tree has a story to tell. To me it looks like it’s protecting itself. Much like elders in their later years. I keep looking at the photo with the old wooden camera set up. Is that a vine over it? If so WOW what a find. Many a bug, animal and humans have rested here for sure. Couldn’t help to look up a few meaning of Bittersweet. For me it fits the photo.
……..arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain…….
Great story Steve. Just goes to show that sometimes when you get the reprieve, or that feeling ‘today’s the day’ – you have to just go for it. Certainly paid off this time. That touch of light coming through is just heavenly… and yes, those are the moments that can really make a difference.
I really would have loved to of seen what the true 5×12 might have produced. Did the tree continue to stretch that wide or would you have needed to climb back under the thorn dome? The framing that you’ve made for the 5×7 is just absolutely spot on man. The crop you put on it for the top shot here is just stunning. Such a beautiful image. It wasn’t even mine and I’m sad to see that camera go. Ha. Cheers!
d:-)
Thank you Dennis for such kind words, it was a bittersweet day, nevertheless the way forward for me at this point.
Stay well,
SS