Honorable Mention / 2016 / Book (series Only) / Fine Art

Night Trees

  • Photographer
    Sue Bailey, United States

I shoot dioramas and "portraits" of trees at night - mostly in
New York, but also in Washington, DC. with plans for more
cities. I use only available light and I like to say I look for
"million dollar lighting packages" when I go out shooting. I find
greater impact at night, when "the veil" is thinner and you feel
the essence of the tree much more. They exude mystery and
magic and power that goes unnoticed in the day. At night you're
drawn into the untold story presented in these dioramas. There
is a delicious irony that these magnificent natural beings
somehow seem more alive when they appear more artificial - as
if they are characters in museum dioramas. Overall, it’s a
merging of man and nature in a mostly harmonious way, with a
hint at man being a supporting player in the complicated field of
nature.