When I was a kid, like so many others, I often accompanied my mother to all of the places mothers go when they are doing their “errands”. You know: grocery shopping, the drug store, the cleaners, the beauty parlor (the worst!), and the bank. In the branch office of the bank we visited, there hung a painting on the wall behind a yellow vinyl couch, that always mesmerized me. It was of a scene in a forest, in the fall, with all of the reds and oranges and golds that define autumn. But to my eye, the magic of the painting were the birch trees that stood straight and tall from foreground to back, their white, scarred skin in sharp contrast to the rich colors that surrounded them. It was finely detailed, with realistic perspective, as the trees gradually faded into the distance. And it drew me right in, every single time we stopped by.
I’ve never forgotten that painting, and have searched for it since, without success. But I also find myself search for birch trees, thinking (hoping) I might photograph an image as captivating as the painting in the bank.
These two photos of the same birch trees were taken in New Hampshire and don’t come close to achieving my goal. But I thought I’d share them just the same.
The search continues…
2 Guys Photo 
Birch trees are like snowflakes. No two are the same. So no two photos or paintings of birch will be the same. In other words, your search is futile. But your photos are still beautiful just like all birch trees. I like the second photo best.
Well said Rodney, they really are like snowflakes. Thanks, Ed
Birches and Aspens, They are both so regal!
Right you are Billie Jean, they seem to be quite honorable. Thanks, Ed
Very nicely said, that birth trees are like snowflakes! I agree, and the second is my favourite too 🙂
Thanks Calee! Ed
I love that the painting from the bank has stayed with you all this time. It’s awe-inspiring to look back and see where the spark began . . .
I recently spent some time photographing birches in NH as well!
Would love to see them Jennifer! Thanks, Ed
I’m guessing the bank painting will keep you looking for that special forest shot, but the above shots are beautiful, Ed. I think I like the second one best also, nice work!
Thanks Howard, yes, the search will probably never end. But it’s the journey, not the destination, after all. Ed.
Sometimes, it is better that the memory lies within our hearts and souls. When I was young, I lived in Northern Manitoba, 800 miles due north from Winnipeg. It was so cold in the winter – 45 below was not unusual. And funny enough, we got used to it. It was the cold that produced extraordinary scenes, crisp and brittle, especially against the remote forest settings. Now that I live in the warmer parts of Canada, I have never, ever seen anything like it. But it is in my memory.
Thanks goodness for memories but kept in perspective: the past is for learning, not for yearning. Thanks Rebecca.
So very very true! We move forward, not backward…