Their self-pruning wisdom reminds me that true insight comes only when I too choose to prune away all that no longer serves me and prevents my light — the superficial levels that are shaped by social conditioning, fears, judgments, and forgetfulness. Such conscious self-pruning has the power of unfolding the kind of inner eyes that can truly see life as it is.
The Hidden Messages of Aspen Trees: A Contemplative Look
My early connection to nature was based on a symbiotic relationship. I was fortunate to have never been exposed to an anthropomorphic perspective and relationship with the more-than-human world. Rather, my experience was one of poetic and spiritual resonance with all I observed — the unity that a youngster experiences before labels are introduced and his ways of seeing are irrevocably altered. What I witnessed in nature were not external objects separated from me, but rather reflections of myself bringing me back home in moments of life when the sense of personhood eclipses one’s essence. Thus, every-thing seen has a hidden message accompanying its external appearance. I was taught to attune with nature, viscerally, rather than just observing it voyeuristically. My childhood love affair with aspen trees, which continues to this day, is an example of ways I have heeded nature’s hidden messages:
Making Visible What Is Invisible (Leaves)
I love how aspen leaves, resembling the shape of a human palm, make the sound of rain in the presence of wind, symbolizing selflessness, flexibility, and adaptability.
I will never forget the day I was captivated by the trembling leaves of an aspen grove at a young age. I suddenly had a realization: my perception shifted from merely seeing how the leaves were trembling to noticing the invisible breeze that caused them to move. I recognized that their movement was simply making visible what was invisible.
This subtle, yet profound realization gave me the choice to shift my focus to either seeing the form or allowing the form to inform me of the invisible — the presence of wind. Since then, I’ve been looking for deeper significance in everything I encounter.
Who would I be if I could see and feel the invisible as clearly as I do the visible?
Seeing Unity in the Midst of Multiplicity (Root System)
A few years back, I went on the Pilgrimage to Pando, sponsored by Pando Populus, at Fishlake National Forest in Utah. Pando is a clonal organism representing an individual male quaking aspen. On this contemplative journey to the home of the world’s largest living organism, I spent quality time in the Pando groves, where over 47,000 aspen trees share the same genes. The trees in this clone have identical features and a common root structure. They are essentially the same tree.
This was a humbling reminder that despite appearances, in essence, everything is interconnected — different forms through which the same source expresses — a reality that the naked eyes fail to see; a bluff of the mind since only the form it sees.
Who would I be if I viewed every-thing and every-one in this manner, and worked on unification and not differentiation — the principle of interconnectedness?
2013 Colorado Fall Colors Trip
Following the same theme as the wildflower season, fall in Colorado was much different than years past. This year was a bit of a disappointment. The colors were around 2 weeks behind. A lot of trees that did turn were a muted color and then the snow and cold temperatures turned promising leaves into a rust or brown color quickly. However, just like the old saying, you must turn lemons into lemonade or make the best of the situation you are in. After all, when isn’t it nice to be out in nature? The following were my favorite images from this years outing.
This image portrays early morning with Mount Sopris enshrouded in clouds after an evening of snow with orange aspen trees lining the foreground. I love this peak. It dominates the landscape and find myself photographing it often.
This image titled “Blending Seasons” was an image I visualized prior to a winter storm coming in. I was hoping that I might have a layering effect of snow and colors. When I hiked to this location, I was pleasantly surprised to see what I had hoped for.
As mentioned above, the colors weren’t as widespread and grandiose as recent years. However, in the San Juan mountains, the scrub oak was incredible. One of the best years for scrub oak I had seen in awhile. I spotted this image driving around and did my best to capture the multitude of colors on the hillside.
This last image was one of the few aspen strands I found that were healthy and colorful while I was out. This photograph depicts late afternoon light with clouds that are partially blocking the sun casting shadows on the scene. The mountain in the background is East Beckwith peak located outside of Crested Butte.
Quick 2013 Colorado Spring Photo Trip
June 27, 2013 December 5, 2017
I took a quick weekend trip up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I didn’t have any dramatic light. However, I was content photographing aspen trees covered with vibrant green foliage. This shot is a sprint rendition of my Fall Twisted Aspens that was photographed in 2012.
Another photograph I came away with I just kind of came to me while sitting on a rock watching the sun paint light on the mountains. I saw these aspen trees and was really drawn to the pathway (tunnel) they created. The trees on the side seemed to all converge on one tree in the middle.
