BRISTLECONE PINE 3 © 2011White Mountains, CA
I have always wanted to photograph the Bristlecone Pines, the oldest living thing in the world. Niki and I were headed out to California for an opening at the Annenberg Space for Photography making a photo trip out of it along the way. Even though it was January, I decided to take a chance that I could reach the trees without encountering snow. It was a very long drive up a dirt mountain road. When we reached the trees at an altitude between 10,000 and 11,000 feet we were surprised that there was absolutely no snow! The Bristlecone Pines are so windblown and twisted that they make wonderful photographs. The day was clear, sunny, no wind and no snow – truly unusual at that altitude, but perfect for photography.
This photograph is hand-printed in Clyde’s darkroom on fiber-based paper, selenium toned, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. The photograph is a limited edition and signed by Clyde.
Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.