I had to save this photo when I saw it on NPR this morning. Unbelievable, isn't it?! Found in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, this tree is at least 1500 years old and 300-foot high! The climbers' tiny bodies in the photo give you the best sense of scale. National Geographic photographer Michael Nichols spent a year photographing the giant redwoods in California. The process is quite interesting: he devised a way to do redwoods justice. It involved three cameras, a team of scientists, a robotic dolly, a gyroscope, an 83-photo composite and a lot of patience. The largest tree elevation is thus assembled! (see the video on NPR)Hopefully I can travel to that State Park someday. My fascination with giant old trees originated from the forest scene in Hitchcock's Vertigo. I've traced the footsteps of Madeleine and Scottie through the redwoods at Muir Woods. The cycle of life and death, the cycle of death and rebirth, the poetic melancholy, the enigmatic beauty, will haunt me forever...
3 comments:
you got to go and see one for yourself. it is majestic! fly to san francisco and it's a short drive to the redwoods...muir woods, i think. awesome photo.
It was 5 years ago when I went to Muir Woods with Ian and my parents. The trees took our breath away! Should go back again someday.
A note to myself -
when reading the book Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic, i found the forest scene was actually filmed at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. it's a common misbelief that Muir Woods was the location!
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