Arbor Day: A Life in Trees

To only photograph a beautiful tree is to miss the full story of resilience, struggle, and life itself

Early on in my photographic journey, I found myself drawn to trees. Not just the towering giants in full bloom, but trees in all states of arrested development—weathered stumps, fragile saplings, and gnarled survivors at the edge of life. There’s something deeply knowing about a tree—a silent witness to time itself.

I often wonder:
What has it seen?
How many days and nights has it stood against the wind and rain?
How many generations has it outlived—and how many more will it see?
Trees evolve just like we do—progressing, regressing, caught between light and dark, good and evil.

In celebration of Arbor Day, I thought it would be meaningful to pull together a collection of my favorite tree photographs from over the years. But not just the beautiful ones.

Most people would curate only the majestic trees, captured in perfect golden light.
I chose differently.

I chose to honor the full story:

• The noble stumps, still rooted in the earth after death.

• The ghostly, leafless trees just beginning their uncertain climb toward the sky.

• The old survivors, battered by storms and seasons, yet still standing.

Because to only celebrate a "perfect" tree misses the true resilience of trees—and of life itself. It’s in the struggle, the imperfection, and the perseverance that the full beauty of a tree’s life is revealed.

Here’s to the wisdom of trees—and to the small, quiet lessons they offer us.

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