Notes and Images from a Small Island (Practice 3 Day 4)

Another glorious day as I make my way to a different forest area.  Although, I leave the house at the same time as yesterday, I get a sense that the season has changed in a day and the light and colours accordingly.  It seems brighter and the colours more intense resembling a tapestry.  As I find the animal track that affords me my way into the forest I am struck by how dense and chaotic it feels after the more serene feeling I had yesterday.  It feels on top of me and aggressive in its dominance.  As I start to take some shots, I do not feel at home here and am overwhelmed.

I am reminded of some images taken by Edward Burtynsky (2020) who has spent his life chronicling the Anthropocene, but during the coronavirus pandemic surrounded himself by nature – dense, gnarled and silvery branches in Grey Country Ontario in his native Canada – Natural Order is his collection.  His work gives the sense of being overwhelmed with nature taking back its spaces during enforced lockdown.

https://www.edwardburtynsky.com/projects/photographs/natural-order

Unfortunately, even Edward Burtynsky was not able to provide me with the motivation and positive feelings that I had about my work yesterday.  I wandered through a few different woodland sites and worked with multiple exposures.  When I returned home, I knew in my heart that today was not my day but nonetheless there are a few images that give quite a different effect from the dreamy images of yesterday.  These are edgy, dominant and overpowering – the power of nature fights back!

As I write this blog, I am feeling despondent, but looking back through the images above they are just another day – different lights, colours, season and location.  They are part of a collection that when viewed with some distance may well become part of my experience Among Trees . . .