"Fable Forest"
Tales From The Trees 5/40

Stories seem to emerge from the most unlikely places at times. I think, in a way, this image represents my own imagination. I can be reading or walking, or washing the dishes and suddenly, almost instantly, a story or an image idea pushes it's way through and brings me along for the ride. I find my walks through the forests almost always result in me bringing home a few new pages of ideas to work on.

A few weeks ago I came across a photo of this crooked little treehouse on Pinterest and it took me a while to find out where it was, it turns out that the location was only a short drive away and so we set out to photograph it. It was tucked on the side of a dirt road, near a lumber company in the middle of the forest and while it needs a little bit of TLC, I think it's the perfect little storybook hideaway. Every forest should have one!

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"Cloud Illusions"
Tales from the Trees 4/40

I spotted this tree one day while on the train, it's tangled empty branches reaching out in every direction and it stayed in my mind for a while. And then last week I listened to Joni Mitchell sing "Both Sides Now" and the lyrics about clouds and looking at them in all different ways really seemed to fit into this image of the gnarled tree.

For me the tree resembled the lyrics "I've looked at life from both sides now". This majestic tree living life on both sides, from flourishing with life and now void of leaves and flowers, but still going on just like the song says

"Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day"

To me the tree is a wishing tree. A place to catch wishes or dreams, to let them rest for a while before being carried out into the universe, out where they need to be. Wishes too, live on both sides.

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"Head Space"
Tales from the Trees 3/40

The third in my year long tree inspired series. For the past few years I've been working with HeadsUpGuys, a men's mental health organization. Every year we run a photo campaign to highlight men's experiences with mental health. This February we're sharing a campaign based around self care.

For me, the concept of self care and trees is very perfectly intertwined. When I'm stressed, sad, anxious, frustrated or need to step away from life for a moment, the trees and forests nearby have always helped. They're like emotional sponges, soaking up the worry and the thoughts and leaving me feeling restored and calm. I wanted to create an image that spoke to this idea that trees can be a kind of refuge for our minds, that they can recharge our minds if we spend time amongst them.

Do you find the same, that spending time in nature and in trees relaxes you?

Tags:   trees talesfromthetrees

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Tales from The Trees - 2/40
I spotted this tiny tree growing out of a stump during a walk just after Christmas. It struck me, mostly because it was so vivid green amongst the subdued browns and pale decay of the winter forest. I knew right away I had to use it in this project.
So I started thinking of a story, and it was slow to form in my head. I took my time letting it unravel. I built a tiny ladder from bamboo sticks and hot glue. I daydreamed. I wrote notes. And then randomly I thought of a snail, a magical snail, that maybe is the one that blesses the stumps in the forest, gives them that burst of magic that they need to be reborn, to get a second chance at living a big long life. Like a little genie granting wishes and me taking notes on the magic in front of me.
I read a quote that said a tree was planted the same day you were born and has grown with you all this time, I like to think that this little tree emerged at the same time that someone's life changed for the better and began again.

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Tales from the Trees 1/40
I’m so excited to start this new series of images based around trees. It was only fitting to start this project with the trees that got me thinking about this series in the first place. At first glance they might not look like much but when viewed at certain angles, a hidden doorway appears and I knew I had to use it as my first image.
The concept of these Tales from the Trees is to explore the natural world around me, to share with you the spaces that inspire me, that I find interesting or curious and to allow these trees to be an influence in my own creativity. I wanted this first image to show one of hope in the unknown, of moving forward to something new, of stepping into a dream and letting it unfold before me.
I hope you’ll enjoy this project, I have so many exciting and fun ideas planned, and I’ll be sharing a reel shortly about how I put this one together, and you can read all the behind the scenes on my patreon.

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