Sunday, February 8, 2009

Palm Tree


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Click to enlarge
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When we think of palm trees we, or at least I, think first and foremost of waving green fronds. For this week's mono entry I thought it would be more interesting to instead look lower down - at the trunk. The fronds up top get all the glory, while the trunks are just the utilitarian and oft-overlooked end of things. When you do take a moment to really see them though, they're all about texture, making them a perfect subject for a monochrome shot.
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Oh, and if you're wondering, the tree is in a pot on my patio and its top looks like this.
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25 comments:

Jientje said...

In a pot??
Wow!!

I love this picture, love love love the texture!

Catherine said...

What a tight package !
You were right, Robin, palm trunks are excellent in B&W. Natural weaving couldn't be more perfect.

Torsdag 1952 said...

Stunning artistic shot in b+w.

Anonymous said...

They do make a beautiful pattern, don't they.

Libby's Library said...

I couldn't keep a palm tree alive in a pot, for love nor money. I'm very impressed...with the photo and the palm tree.

Robin said...

Don't be too impressed Libby - it thrives on benign neglect. The rest of them aren't in nearly as good shape. And, whenever there's a really bad wind storm it tips over! Half the branches are now broken. (it's up on the 9th floor)

Anonymous said...

A good one Robin,
I think mother nature is fascinating.
Reminds me of celery :-/

Anonymous said...

That almost looks like weaving. Great shots.

Jane Hards Photography said...

That's really inventive.

Ice Pony Girl said...

Artichoke comes to mind. Very nice. BTW...I love your island!

Mojo said...

Wow... talk about coincidence. Last October at the conference I attended at the beach I snapped off six or eight shots of this very thing -- only a lot larger specimens. And you're right, they're a natural for black and white. These shots are a lot tighter in than mine though.

Nice work!

Phyllis Sommer said...

great for tu b'shevat! happy happy...

Robin said...

Awesome, and oddly provocative! I know that may sound crazy...but it was my first thought!

Have always love B&W...great examples!

TuTu's Bliss said...

WOW I really love it and the idea of your blog. I love the design too!

Terri said...

Those are beautiful Robin! The textures really pop out in BW.

Anonymous said...

Very nice! I really like these. It's definitely a different look at a palm.

vincibene said...

Perfect for b&w! Interesting texture!

EG CameraGirl said...

Very nice, Robin. My sister lives in Phoenix and one of the most fascinating things about plants there are the palm trees...especially their trunks. Cool!

Marguerite said...

I never realized what the trunk of a palm tree looked like. Very interesting subject for b&w.

Joe Narvaez said...

This is clever! I like this mono!

Anonymous said...

I've always loved the trunks of Palm trees.
Lovely shots, great texture and mono conversion!

Sherrie said...

Hi!
Great Shot!! Never even thought of the trunk of a palm tree. Your right it does have lots of texture! Have a great day!!

Sherrie

Dragonstar said...

I like the picture of the top of the tree, but these are so much more interesting. The lines and textures are fascinating. Great idea.

Anonymous said...

Love the texture and how organic the shots look. How tall is your palm?

Robin said...

Probably 10 or 12 feet Jennifer, pretty small as palms go, but a bit too big for a tippy pot on a windy rooftop lol.