PHOTOGRAPHY
One Photo And a Few Words: Part Three
When trees share warmth in the cold of winter
It took a new year to drop more than an inch of snow in central Mass. I may have mentioned this a time or twelve; I love photographing landscapes in the snow.
I find walking through the snow peaceful and exhilarating. And if I’m early enough, I’ll arrive at my destination(s) before the white coat has already been broken with the footprints of others.
The hugging trees were one of several stops I made through three nearby towns to get out and walk around. The pond ran along the property of a golf course and a primary back road in Devens.
The trees, as captured above, appear to embrace, as if trying to stay warm against snow and cold winds. I could not ignore the trees as they huddled together. I photographed the pair of trees as a portrait and landscape. It’s not an award-winning photo, but I like it. And as a photographer, we capture images of what we see through the viewfinder.
After viewing enlarged images on my laptop, I chose to use the image above, as it isolates the trees from the remaining landscape.
Side story
The community of Devens sprang to life with the severe downsizing of Fort Devens in 1996. The fort’s footprint is much smaller than it once was, and it’s now a training base for military units throughout New England.
I wasn’t particularly fond of the post shutting down. My dad was a reservist for several years after World War II. I spent a lot of time at Fort Devens, most often during open houses or Armed Forces Day, which used to be a day to celebrate. Not war, at least not in my mind. I saw it as humble-bragging. “We’re the Army, and this is what we do.” Hanscom Air Force Base, some 20 miles east of the fort, did much the same.
Fort Devens was also where I managed to get the medals my dad earned during his service with the 82nd Airborne during World War II. Perhaps my affection for the post is biased, but I don’t generally lament the loss of the base. It happens most when I travel through Devens.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by. Lay 50 claps on me and comment if you would please. I will return the favor. Cheers!
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More stories from Bruce Coulter.
