"The Silent Sentinel"

 

The forest is amazing at night. Especially on crisp, clear nights before leaf-out in the spring or after the leaves fall in autumn. I love the shapes that are revealed against the awesome backdrop of stars. Every tree is unique, but every now and then I find one that I am especially drawn too.  This one, which I call The Silent Sentinel, is one such example. 

I first came across the tree almost 10 years ago and ever since then I've wanted to return to it under the cover of darkness to photograph it with the night sky glowing brightly above. Of course, after thinking for so long about what it might look like at night, I certainly had an expectation in my mind. This was one of those rare cases where the reality was more beautiful than what I saw in my imagination.

 The Sentinel itself and the surrounding trees couldn't have been more ideally composed. I love how there is an opening in the tree canopy right above the Sentinel tree, and how all the other nearby trees seem to be gathered around it, as if the Sentinel is telling a story. This is my new favorite place to be under the stars in the northeast Minnesota forest.