Trees I Have Loved

Even though it is difficult to choose from so many of my photograhs, I decided to go with one that is dear to my heart. There are other ones of my photos that perhaps are more impressive, with dazzling sunsets or more exciting subjects of nightlife and bright lights of the city but I decided on entering this photo, that in some ways is rather simple.

It is though, an image that comes back to me often, as it is taken at a place that I find very comforting and in certain ways, I can really say, that on some level it soothes my soul. All to say, that if sometimes I am feeling overloaded and overwhelmed with how fast life can seem to move forward and make demands on us, I need a quiet place where I can just feel the flow of the river, with it's twists and turns.

There is also this very special tree on the riverbank, with it's strength and solidity but also it's soft flexibility, even though it is in somewhat of a precarious placement on the banks of this river. It does though remain steadfast and soaks up the cold, fresh country water from the riverside into it's roots and basks in the warm sun, be it sunrise or sunset, daylight or moonlight. It stands.

I lived by this river and this spot for many years and because of various life situations, as life comes and goes, I was obliged to move away from this area as well as this river view. I left for a few years but with time, life once more brought me back to this same place. I am now on the other side of the road from this special spot but the exact same distance of just a couple of minutes from another perspective.

It has become somewhat of a love story, as my life has taken it's own twists and turns and brought me back, home.

On the more down to earth and practical side of the story, I have taken dozens and dozens of photos at this exact place. Over the years, I've taken them in pretty much every season, time of day and different weather conditions. I suppose like many other people who love taking pictures, I still want to get it just right but just right has many different variables that can actually change, as I myself change with the different seasons, time of day and weather conditons.

I do love though and find it so intriguing to return to the exact spot and find it so absolutely different from one day to another, or even dawn to dusk on the very same day!

I have taken photos of this scene with my Nikon camera, with my Samsung Smartphone, and many years back with a small automatic Canon. Sometimes I find, rather frustratingly so, that some of my best photos, I've actually taken with my mobile phone! Why I say, frustratingly so, is that there is so much less effort and understanding that actually has to go into it and voila a decent or even very good photo at times! The cameras on cell phones have come a very long way!

I have spoken to a couple of friends who are photographers lately and even though a really good camera probably can't be beat, by someone who really knows how to use all the different functions properly and has a deep knowledge and understanding of photography, even so they sometimes are amazed and even perhaps somewhat perplexed by what a good cell phone can really take as a photo. Myself personally, I am pretty ready to update soon to a newer cell phone and camera as well.

So the image that I am including was taken on this very cell phone, a Samsung Galaxy J3.

I have never entered this kind of contest before, entering a photo and a text of this length and am really excited about it! It has only been in the past couple of weeks that I discovered this website .

I thank you for the opportunity to be part of this community and to be able to respond to these offers. I also find that it is a wonderful place to learn, explore and communicate with others. It seems to me as a kind of pulse on what is out there in these creative times.