Dani Watson, Resilience (LANDSCAPE 2024)

As I set off before the sun made its grand entrance, I hoped the morning fog would lend an ethereal quality to our backdrop because there is something magical about trees and fog. As Ken, Jess and I trekked towards our destination, I was told the stories of the area's significance and the looming threat to this magnificent arboreal entity. When I finally arrived, I realised this was no ordinary tree. It was a Grandmother Tree - a term used to describe a tree that has stood the test of time, weathering storms and seasons, offering shelter and sustenance to countless creatures, and silently witnessing the world change around it. These trees are the forest elders, the wise ones who have seen centuries unfold. There it was, standing tall and proud against the sky, its branches reaching out like ancient arms, its roots digging deep into the earth. The sheer scale of it was awe-inspiring, its grandeur impossible to grasp in a single glance. I noticed something peculiar as I set down my gear and took a moment to take in the surroundings. This beautiful tree seemed to be weeping, its bark glistening with sap as if mourning its precarious existence. This was more than just an amazing tree; it was a symbol of resilience, a testament to the enduring power of nature. A sentinel of the forest that needed to be protected. As I stood there, dwarfed by its towering presence, I realised it was not just a tree I was photographing but a piece of history, a living monument that deserved to be celebrated and preserved for generations to come.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.