Lessons Learned: Soft & Scratchy

Like wizened, aging landlords, hardwood tree trunks host temporary tenants from birth to death each year: their leaves. Each spring brings a new batch of buds, which erupt into bright green foliage, suffer a summer lifetime of challenge and ease, then wither, die and fall to be regenerated into rich new topsoil each autumn.

As leaves come and go, the trunks linger on, aging steadily in their extended lifespans and showing the scars that bear witness to their longevity. Missing limbs. Gashes from infestations, animal marking and automobile encounters. Bent branches from prevailing winds, heavy snow loads and build-ups of ice.

For the observer, or photographer, these tales of life's tragedies present rich textures and colors. The soft, lush billowing of autumn leaves at full color complements the dark brown, rough textures of the battered trunks and branches.

Contrasts make good subjects. And the unlimited contrasts - amid lifetime partnerships - found in nature are among the most photogenic.