black locust

The last time I was in North Park was April 23, almost a month ago. Between my trip up to Northern Ontario and the fact that it’s been raining for the last two weeks, my options for hiking have been reduced. But, the rain and the moving season have transformed the Park. The tree-canopy is the beautiful new-green of first growth and there are flowering trees everywhere. There are Black Locust throughout Western Pennsylvania and at this time of year the tall skinny trees are in bloom.

off on a tangent
Every once in a while, I can grab, a slice of an image that totally re-imagines the original shot. The cropping process always reminds me of the pre-digital photographers and artists looking through an eye-magnifier at slides; looking for a detail, in a large image, that is extraordinary that is transformative.

On today’s walk, I shot several images of flowering trees; the image on the right is of the loose drooping clumps of the Black Locust. I also shot the flowering clusters of a Northern Wild Raisin, also known as Viburnum. It’s a mid-size shrub that can reach 12 feet. (The naturalist at the Allegheny County Parks Department said that there only a few Viburnum in the Park – along North Ridge Drive, the section near the Ice Rink.) In Photoshop, I looked to see which section of the image showcased the tiny white flowers with the giant yellow stamens. The best detail was at the bottom of the cluster and that’s the section that I cropped. The result is one of my favorite images.  Click to see the image detail.