Some of my favorite photographs come from places I’ve already photographed a dozen times before. This is one of them — a pair of trees I keep coming back to, on an evening that started with ice cream.
The beauty of the world that surrounds us is nothing short of amazing. These two trees? I’ve photographed them more times than I can count. And still… they never grow old. New England has a way of surprising you like that — even with familiar scenes.
Two trees, side by side, standing watch on a hill under a soft summer sky. I come back to this spot often. I’ve watched it shift and evolve over the years. The trees change. The weather changes. But more than anything… I change. Every year, every season, every photograph — my view of the world adjusts. It softens in places. Sharpens in others. And that’s part of what I love most about landscape photography. It’s not just about capturing what I see. It’s about capturing what I feel.
On this particular evening, we had driven out to Connecticut to check on a field of sunflowers. The flowers were running a little behind schedule, not quite ready to show off yet — but I wasn’t disappointed. It was one of those golden, humid New England evenings, and the nearby farm had an ice cream stand. A real ice cream stand. Homemade scoops. Fresh waffle cones. And the kind of summer air that smells like melted sugar and nostalgia.
We found a picnic table and sat down with our cones, letting the day slow down around us. That’s when I looked across the street. There they were — my old friends. The trees.
I grabbed my gear and wandered over. I loved the way the cat-o’-nine-tails swayed in the foreground. I loved the low, warm light. I loved how quiet everything felt. It was the kind of photograph that doesn’t shout. It whispers.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what the soul needs.
I don’t think I’ll ever be done photographing those two trees. Every year they look a little different to me — not because they’ve changed, but because I have. That’s become one of my favorite parts of shooting the same places again and again.
This photograph is as much about slowing down as it is about the trees themselves — the kind of quiet evening moment that’s easy to miss if you’re rushing past. If that kind of stillness is something you want more of at home, it’s available as a print.