I’m not sure what it was that first attracted my eye to this scene. Maybe it was the lighting of the foreground compared to the background. Perhaps it was the depth between the trees of the subject and the new spring growth and the thicker forest behind.
Most likely, it was the peculiarity of how the trees are growing together. How two seeds fell to the ground, sprouting into seedlings, eventually mostly growing into one, with an intertwining web of roots, but still competing with each for the nutrients and water.
Even though these two trees are separate living organisms, do they rely on each other for survival at this stage in their lives? If one became diseased, would it spread to the other? If one fell, would it weaken the other and place it in a perilous state. If a storm blew through the area, is the root system so interconnected, would both trees fall as one?
There also appears to be a smaller tree growing out of the base of the tree on the right. Is this a branch that grew larger than normal? Was this a seedling that sprouted after the other two trees were well established? Was there damage to the one tree at some stage of its life? Did this result in a new trunk to ensure its survival?
This black and white photograph of this intimate landscape was captured during the spring along the Skate Creek Road (Forest Road 52) in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington.
For those of you unfamiliar with this area of the Pacific Northwest, the Skate Creek Road is seasonal (closed during the winter) linking State Route 706, near Ashford, Washington, and the Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park and US Route 12 at Packwood, Washington.
The Skate Creek Road runs through lush temperate forest (a home for both evergreen and deciduous trees), mostly following the scenic Skate Creek.
Although the Skate Creek Road is paved in its entirety, it has had low maintenance over the years, resulting in many dips and potholes on the road.
EXIF: Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 24-70/4 S lens, ISO 64, 70 mm, ฦ8, 0.5 seconds.
This image is part of a collection of photos that can be viewed at Photography Project: Spring in the Washington Cascades Foothills, 2019.
