Trees in Winter — Image 6

Part of an ongoing series of images relating to silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies. This image was made just before sunrise on Dobbins Farm, Fred Dobbins Road, Townville, South Carolina.

Trees in Winter — Image 2

I'm currently working on a series of images relating to silhouettes of barren trees against the winter skies. This image, made in Townville, South Carolina, is the second of the series.

Trees in Winter — Image 3

Part of an ongoing series of images relating to silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies.

Trees in Winter — Image 4

Part of an ongoing series of images related to silhouettes of barren trees against the winter skies.

A Morning for Hafiz

This is an image I made at the break of a morning a few weeks ago. The magical, changing colors of the sky remind me of a poem by Hafiz, a fourteenth-century Sufi poet. Even After All this time The sun never says To the Earth, "You owe me." Look What happens With a love like that. It lights the Whole Sky.

Trees in Winter — Image 5

One of a series of images relating to the barren silhouettes of trees against winter skies.

Trees in Winter — Image 10

Part of a series of images of silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies.

Trees in Winter — Image 12

Trees in Winter — Image 11

Part of a series of images of silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies. In this image, I would prefer no washout caused by the bright sky in the upper left corner. I could not crop this area out, however, without eliminating some of the wonderful color created in the stratum of clouds just before sunrise.

Trees in Winter — Image 9

Part of a series of images relating to silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies.

Trees in Winter — Image 7

Part of a series of images relating to silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies. This composition fascinated me because of the delicate lacework of the treetops against a patch of fleeting green just before sunrise. For me, it captures a kind of Japanese or Zen aesthetic. "Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky." Kahlil Gibran, Sand and Foam

Mapping the Sunrise—Dobbins Farm

Moonset Over Dobbins Farm

I drove to nearby Dobbins Farm early this morning, parked on the side of the road, and fixed my gaze upon a favorite tree, hoping that a combination of the frigid weather (8-10 degrees) and the setting of a magnificent full moon would create beautiful light and provide some interesting photographic opportunities. I was not disappointed. (Note the white-faced cow staring at me from the base of the tree.)

Trees in Winter — Image 14

This image is part of an ongoing series relating to the silhouettes of barren trees against the winter skies.

After an extremely challenging year in the United States, it was reassuring to discover this amazing pre-sunrise revelation yesterday morning, the final day of the year. For better or worse, I'm treating this as a sign of hope for a better year, a year in which the forces of unity will prevail over the forces of alienation and division.

Trees in Winter — Image 13

Part of a series of images of silhouettes of barren trees against winter skies.

Early December After a Rain

I made this image originally in early December, 2016, but never uploaded it to Flickr. It's remained in my mind's eye, however, because of the experience of that day when I quickly pulled off the road just to admire the richly saturated colors of the foliage within minutes after it had stopped raining.

Moonset Over Dobbins Farm

An early morning shot, just at the sun was beginning to rise in the opposite direction.

A Moment in Time

A fleeting moment just before sunrise this morning in upstate South Carolina.

Early Morning, Dobbins Farm

This gnarly old tree, which seems to have survived for centuries, is a favorite of mine. Located on Dobbins Farm in Townville, South Carolina, it's become a sort of beacon for me as I arrive on many early winter mornings, pushing through the fog to pursue my passions for birding and photography.

Silhouette and Sky

I rise early, especially in winter, to see the light before sunrise. This was the view this morning from my little corner of the world — upstate South Carolina.

A Reason to Celebrate

Morning, July 4, 2010, no fireworks, no politics, no chest-thumping speeches, no tanks, no fighter jets or other weapons of war — just this: a deserted country road, a field of sunflowers, a beckoning, blue sky, all of which are reasons enough for me to celebrate the day.