Sentinels #14885

The Story

Tall pines and other trees lining the edge of this small pond stand like sentinels watching over a young dogwood tree in bloom. This image is a water and woods landscape done just after the trees have bloomed into fresh leaves and flowers. Stranded and stuck on a small island, the little dogwood tree reaches out toward the shore and its guardian protectors lined up there. Somehow, the scene simply struck me as a little one being watched over quite closely by the big ones.

I found this man-made pond while poking down along all the side roads around a large lake. Interestingly, the pond wasn’t visible from the main highway lying lower than than the pond. You couldn’t see it until you were on top and above. I looked but didn’t find a clue or reason for the island being there, so it was probably done just because for the heckuvit. Walking the length of the grassy shore on the side I photographed from, I tried to create images that used the little dogwood tree and the island. That was clearly the focal point for a water and woods landscape and the most useful thing to create around. Otherwise, it was just another pond.

There’s a companion view to this landscape including the little island called Beyond #14886. I like them both in their variation and decided to share them together to you on this website.

Because this Spring landscape shot was taken in black and white infrared, the new green leaves and dogwood tree blooms show up as a brighter white. The darker green pines still illuminate well but as a darker white. Highlighting the treetops, the sunlight was low and skimming the woods causing those bright areas to reflect in the still pond water. With infrared, both the water and the blue parts of a sky go black. That’s perfect for accented bright reflections on the dark water.

Although I did photograph here in color as I usually do, it was the black and white that carried the most impact and interest. I hope you enjoy the calm, the detail, and the spirit of this image as I do. It’s another gift from Mother Nature…and someone who enjoys building ponds.

Location: Penn Run, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.