This is a “Bur” oak, a massive tree that grows upward of 100 ft. tall and just as wide. Oaks can live more than 300 years. The name derives from “Burr,” the cup of the acorn which resembles the spiny bur of a chestnut. The species extends farther north than any of the other oaks. […]
From Peter Wohllenben’s The Hidden Life of Trees, I learned that the roots underground are more involved in a tree’s survival than anything growing above it. They withstand severe changes in climate, regrow trunks from time to time and it’s there where centuries of experience are stored. While trees don’t appear to have a central […]
This is the 14th posting in the series, “The Aesthetic Dimensions.” The first, posted January 6, 2019, explains the series and deals with “Abstraction.” To follow it (at no cost), go to davidlsmithcontemplativephotography.com and click “Follow” (bottom right corner of the Home page). The postings will show up in your mailbox on Sunday mornings. To […]
Because the rust is so prominent in this image, giving the appearance of a “bleeding” or disintegrating stairway, I see it as an excellent illustration of entropy—matter in the process of dissipation, reverting back to heat energy. Everything disintegrates. Dust to dust. Iron rusts, computers fail, bones break, noise disrupts communication, relationships fail, businesses […]
When I photographed these orderly rows of young corn extending to the horizon, I was thinking about the farmer and his work, evidenced by the tractor tracks and the amount of time, money and energy it took to plant this enormous field. Reflecting on the image now, I appreciate the contribution of all growers and […]
Because the rust is so prominent in this image, giving the appearance of a “bleeding” or disintegrating stairway, I saw it as an excellent illustration of entropy—matter in the process of dissipation, reverting back to heat energy. Everything disintegrates. Dust to dust. Iron rusts, computers fail, bones break, noise disrupts communication, relationships fail, businesses […]
When I photographed these orderly rows of corn sprouts extending to the horizon, I was thinking about the farmer and his work, evidenced by the tractor tracks and the amount of time, money and energy it took to plant this field. Reflecting on the image now, I appreciate the contribution of all growers and […]
Perhaps because satellite dishes look like ears turned skyward, I sometimes imagine lines of light, like ruby laser beams, streaming out of them toward their satellites. If those beams could somehow become visible at night, globally and simultaneously, the resulting web of crisscrossing lines would be dazzling. Building on this reflection, I include the lines […]
