Snowy Solitude

There is just something about a solitary tree or a lonely tree, if you will. Such trees have been a common subject for artists of all types over time, whether a painter or a photographer. Some people see the sadness in the singular tree, standing all alone and isolated. Others see the symbolization as strength, independence, resilience, and the ability to stand firm and survive. I join the latter group in my views of the singular tree.

In this case, I pass this tree about once a month as I journey into the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. But as interesting as it is during all seasons, my vision for a photograph of the tree involved snow and not just any snow. Alberta has low humidity, and although we can get lots of snow, it is usually “dry”, easily blown around, and not the kind that “sticks” upon arrival. Only in the spring do we ever get the heavier wet snow, but it is easily melted as the day warms up, usually not still clinging to tree branches by mid-morning. For the photo I had in mind, I needed fresh, brilliantly white snow to be resting on the branches. And so, the wait began.

Then, early in March of 2022, the perfect storm arrived. A nice snowfall of the moist sticky kind. Just enough to cover everything and stay in place, but still make the roads easily drivable. As soon as I realized what had fallen overnight, I was out the door. There was no guarantee that the snow that had fallen at my home had also fallen at the lonely tree, about an hour’s drive away, but I had to give it a try. Upon arrival, I was pleased to see that the same snow had fallen at the location and was still sitting on the tree’s branches. In some places, the snow even sat on the thin barbed wire. Perfect! I got to work on capturing the scene as an ultra-high-resolution image. I worked as quickly as I could, as I knew the snow would not remain in place for long. In the end, I was able to get all the shots I needed, and once assembled, the resultant image was just as I had imagined. Mission accomplished!

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