Trees - Musings and Meditations
Dear friends,
I’ve started combining making my Walkie-Talkies with photographing trees.
And now I sometimes just head out to photograph trees.
And gradually I realized that I’ve actually been photographing a lot of trees for quite some time, somewhat unconsciously.
A Biosphere Project was originally conceived as a photographic travel project, and in the run-up to that project, I invested in professional photography equipment. I sold my old Nikon a few years ago, partly to “save up” for a better camera. I also sold a lot of my painting supplies, and the proceeds from that also went toward a new digital mirrorless full-frame camera. And as I mentioned in my blog post “The Travels (An Update),” I suspect that photography will continue to play a role on my path. There may be some shorter versions of “The Travels” in the future.
But since January 2024, when I bought my new Nikon, I’ve started looking at trees a lot more—without even really realizing it. And now that I’m consciously doing so more and more, my love and admiration for trees only continue to grow.
And I also realize how little attention we usually pay to these stately and mysterious companions. How often do we walk past them without a second thought, taking their presence for granted?
What marvelous creatures they are! Without them, we wouldn’t be here either. For many indigenous cultures (perhaps all of them), trees were and are conscious, animate beings (some First Nations in North America called them the “standing people”).
For many, the term “tree hugger” is an insult, implying a naive person out of touch with the world—a hippie dreamer with no grasp of “reality.” I see the term more as a title of honor, and I also intend to hug a tree every day if possible—unashamedly and with love. Because we’re going to need the trees so very much! But that shouldn’t even be our primary motivation. We must cherish trees for the sake of what or who THEY are, not just out of self-interest.
I’ll return to this point often throughout the project, because that distinction will be essential.
To start things off, I’ll begin sharing some of my “tree photos” every now and then. Hopefully, they can inspire you a little to look at trees with renewed wonder and gratitude.
If you'd like to read some more about tree hugging, you can read my March 2024 Musing, “Everyone Is Born as a Tree Hugger.”
Thanks for reading, and until the next episode,
All the best to you,
Filip
