In his own words: Kevin Twomey speaks of the power of the Redwoods.

once again Kevin Twomey eloquently describes for us his experience as a photographer. This time, he describes his trip to the Redwoods with a friend. Here is what he had to say:

“Recently, an old college friend and I embarked on a road trip to photograph the majestic redwoods up in Humboldt County. I knew these trees were old, and tall, but did not expect the humbling effect they would have on me.

My original idea was to capture the beautiful color palate of the redwood forest; the rich greens of the forest floor against the slightly warm to neutral tones of the trees, but when surrounded by these giants I decided to work in the timeless medium that is black-and-white. The forest canopy situated high above us aligned with a partly cloudy day to create a beautiful quality of light falling onto the forest floor.

The camera captures only a second out of the many hundreds or even a thousand years of its life, revealing past fires, decay and fallen trees– a recycling process measured in centuries. So much has transpired in its longevity. Who was there one thousand years ago, to see its reedy beginnings?

The human figure, in a classic pose, offers a humbling reminder that our place in natural history may be smaller than our egos purport. This towering species dwarfs our own in both size and longevity; a coastal redwood’s average lifespan of 500-700 years is three times the age of our democracy, and far exceeds most ruling dynasties.

[My gratitude to the model, Maria, doused in insect repellent, for portraying the needed perspective.]”