This stately oak, which stood alongside a well-traveled rural road, was one of the most majestic trees in the county. Its presence was noted by all who passed it in their daily travels from country to town.
I use the past tense in referring to it, because sadly it was torn apart in a violent wind storm several years ago, its ancient innards weakened by the passage of time. Its absence leaves a void that will not soon be replaced.
I exercised great care in making this photograph, edging through the rough ground alongside the road in a deep and wet snow to place my tripod in just the right spot.
The tree was beautiful when fully leafed out in summer, but to my mind, the classic view was presented in the cooler months, when its delicate architecture of branches was on full display, as here.
The original of this photo was made in color, but the dark tree against the white of the snow and sky made it appear as though shot in black & white. To complete the effect, I converted the color image to full B&W, as it’s presented here.
This is among my favorite photos, and I have a 16X20 inch print of it hanging in my home. You can see this and other photos of remarkable trees in my Tree Collection by clicking on the Photos tab, which will take you to my photo galleries.