It's crime? It was growing too close to the edge of a farmer's field shading a little of the sunlight from the crop.
Its Advocate advised it to plead guilty in the expectation that the punishment would involve no more than the severance of several limbs. In the end, it paid the ultimate penalty... 50 years of life snuffed out in an instant.
I didn't even have to click into this shot to put it in my favorites. A powerful image, using a great POV to suit. Great photo -- really, really too bad about the tree. I'm reading a book right now and the section has to to with the loss of trees -- to disease, or for lumber, charcoal, and other uses. Your wonderful photo is very timely for me, Richard.
I too hate to see the tree destroyed. I can understand if I must point of view. Perhaps though the Fama could have planted one or two other trees in a different area to make up for the one he had to destroy. This is indeed a very helpful image. More so if you read your narrative. It is a superb capture! I love the point of view and the dark mode. Instant fav!
This is a tearjerker for me. A fallen man of our tree race, savaged in his prime, his beauty ravaged and even the flora and fauna look forlorn. An emotional fav.
The bw sky I didn't realize at first but it so adds to the drama without taking away from it which I am sure is why you did it. This must have taken some time to get where you were happy with it.
@joansmor@flyrobin@helly31 Thank you ladies for your kind comments. I guess it took me about 20 minutesd all told Joan - the longest part was removing the electricity distribution pole growing in front of the tree at the right and 8 separate power lines crossing the scene low on the horizon! I had expected when I took this that it would work best as a B&W image but the tones weren't distinct enough and it didn't have the impact that I wanted. I was looking to create a feeling of bleak and soulless devastation, and the desaturated tones worked better in my opinion. And there is still a little blue left in that sky if you look carefully.
The blue not coming through on my laptop, but then we both know how different pictures look on different devices. But I removed only two from my lighthouse and it was time consuming.
@frankhymus Thanks Frank, and you're quite right, the front of the lens was only about 6" from the tree stump and I focussed a third of the way up the trunk at approxinately the hyper-focal distance. The D5100 was ideal for this as the fully orientable rear screen enabled me to get the PoV I wanted without laying flat on my belly in the muddy field. For the processing - see my comment above.
Richard, I've aptly been accused of being a tree hugger and, so, your photo and commentary touch me deeply. Well captured (for posterity and advocacy) and excellent processing. I agree that this one would have lost something being B&W. These subdued tones are fab!
This image evokes such sadness for me as it pains me to see trees cut down, whatever the reason. The color tones you've chosen profoundly accentuate the depressing loss of life that has occurred here. Fav for your photography skills and your memorial to this fallen tree.
I do not understand Why many farmers do not work in a positive way with nature and the environment