I made this photograph while walking with Terri and our dog on a fall day in a deep river valley. The day was very cold and red with fall leaves, and deep white clouds swirled slowly overhead, quiet virgins pregnant with snow. I could smell sweet sap in the chilly air.
I liked the tiny shadow that fell on this birch tree, and the little curls of bark that peeled away from the trunk and quivered in the wind.
I photographed the tree trunk to show how the day made me feel, splaying the small shadow across the frame to portray a mood of energy, and using a limited depth of focus to make the photograph seem alive and fleeting.
Peeling Birch Bark: Near Pemberton, BC, 2002
I have created two interpretations of this scene. The Colour Photograph is a match to the original slide, while the Black and White Photograph is a second interpretation in monochrome.