For many years in Davis that right place was a field on the northeast side of town, just between Pole Line Rd and the old cannery. The field was home to one of the most unique and magnificent trees in the world. I would frequently drive or ride past the gnarled and weathered old Valley Oak, occasionally at sunset, and think about what a great photo she would make. But I always had someplace to be, too busy to stop and enjoy the moment. There would be time to come back and admire its majesty. Then one day there wasn't. Her end had come during a wet and windy late winter storm. As her time on earth had run out, so had my chance for time with her. And at that time, it was the awakening I needed to help reinvigorate my photography teaching me that time is precious and I should seize every opportunity I can. In a sense the death of the tree gave birth to this era in my photography (I know, it's like, whoa, that's deep man)
Over three years later I still find myself riding out to that field around sundown hoping a new old tree has sprung up. The tree is gone but the photogenic old barn is still there. I really should take advantage of it while it's still standing.
The field where the tree stood is still cool but exploiting a few deficiencies in my very expensive optics helps make up for the lack of a strong subject.
Here is the old tree from the one and only time I stopped to take a picture of her back in 1999.
There's no telling how many great sunsets she witnessed.
