Marked by the passage of time

by Frank Schröter Photography

A twisted, dead tree trunk rises from the dry ground in a slender form. Its deeply furrowed wood fibres and broken branch tips stand out clearly against the blurred shrubs and rocks behind it. Warm shades of brown and red blend the wood into its surroundings; a strip of blue sky opens up the portrait format towards the sky. The photograph draws the eye to a small, expressive figure in a vast, arid landscape.

The trunk does not rise straight up: its line first slopes to one side and then tapers to a narrow point. A second, shorter piece of wood echoes this movement. Green twigs and small shadows lie between the two forms. The light-coloured rock face in the distance forms a tranquil background against which the darker wood fibres remain clearly visible.

The photograph was individually developed and retouched. The portrait format emphasises the upward momentum and leaves space for the sky at the top of the frame. As a wall hanging, the image offers both a clear silhouette and many small textures within the wood. The brown and reddish tones have a warm feel; the green of the shrubs and the blue of the sky complement them. In this way, the composition connects a single found object with its wider surroundings.