Collaborative Practice Day 5

It is the final day of collaborative practice with Katie, a fellow PhD student.  We agree to go our separate ways to work. Katie stays around the “beach” area of the loch as I return to the lone silver birch tree on its southern edge.  We are working quite a distance away from each other, about a kilometre away, but I am still able to see Katie’s turquoise poncho which she wears to keep dry in this changeable weather!

Another morning of heavy rain is replaced by blue skies and fluffy clouds and the occasional heavy shower.  The ground is sodden, pitted by the sheep and punctuated by rather dangerous rabbit holes, as a climb the hill to the silver birch.  I decide to combine two images in camera to give a sense of the movement in the tree, caused by the very strong winds.  I can allow nature to paint its own pictures today and do not need to use intentional camera movement techniques.  I begin by using my tripod which will allow me to capture a sharp representation of the trunk of the tree but also allow for the crown and leaves of the tree to be more fluid.

However, I find the tripod restrictive, so I decide to hand hold my camera and allow for a less precise approach in capturing the Being of the tree.  I enjoy this less prescribed practice allowing for only an approximate sense of the images I might capture.  As has been our practice over the past few days, we have lunch together and take the opportunity to discuss our morning’s endeavours.  I am hopeful that my images may be interesting too.

I have enjoyed the good weather this morning and what might be one of the last opportunities to capture the silver birch with its flame orange leaves.  With stormy weather forecast, the small waxy leaves will lose their grip on the branches of the tree, and flutter to the ground beneath. . .