Storm Tree (2009) Photograph by Gary Moger

Storm Tree

Near Julian, California — 2009.

I'd been surfing that morning near San Diego. Afterwards, I hired one of the early electric cars and headed inland towards the mountains with my camera.

The weather changed quickly. Snow started falling higher up, and the road was beginning to ice over. I was driving slowly down a steep mountain road when I came around a bend and saw this tree.

It was twisted and almost sculptural, standing alone in the high desert scrub. The grasses were dry and pale, the branches bare, and the whole landscape had taken on a cold blue-grey colour. The storm was right behind me.

I pulled over, got out and made a few photographs as quickly as I could. I wasn't going to hang around for long. The road was slippery, the descent was steep, and I still had to get off the mountain.

But I'm glad I stopped. There's something about this tree that I love — the way it has grown against the elements, shaped by years of wind and weather. It looked completely at home in a landscape that had suddenly become rather hostile.

Photographed on my Leica M8 in 2009.

The print

I produce each print in my own studio on Hahnemühle Photo Rag archival paper. Every print is carefully checked before packing, and I use plastic-free packaging.

Limited edition of 50, signed and numbered, with a certificate of authenticity.

Materials used:

Leica M8, Hahnemuhle Photorag Archival paper

Details:

• Photograph on Paper
• From a limited edition of 50
• Size: 66.04 x 45.72 x 0.25cm (unframed) / 60.96 x 40.89cm (actual image size)
• Signed and numbered certificate of authenticity
• Style: Photorealistic
• Subject: Landscapes, sea and sky
• Hurry, only 1 left in stock