PEPPERWOOD 1 © 1996

Redwood National Park, CA

During the early days of our marriage, we spent our lives in northern California, where I fell in love with the ecosystem of the redwood forests. There is a power that pulsates from the redwoods, and it fills me with gratitude. One day, while taking a picture, I watched a giant tree crash to the ground. It turns out, it did make a sound and left a massive hole in the forest, allowing the sunlight to reach the forest floor. Niki and I wanted to see what the ecosystem looked like forty years after that tree had fallen, so we returned to the same spot. We found the fallen tree covered with ferns, lichens, and mushrooms. A whole new ecosystem had been created, and the tree was still in the process of returning to the earth. 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.