THE STORY BEHIND THE ART
The bristlecone forest is one of those solemn, magical places left on Earth. Situated between 10,000 to 12,000 feet elevation in the White Mountains of Inyo National Forest, CA, lies one of the last significant stretches of the world's most ancient single living organisms.

These incredible trees--some determined to be 5,000 years old--defy logic. They have survived over the millennia, through drought, fire, volcanic activity, and human intrusion, growing in the poorest of rocky ground, twisting into the strangest of shapes by unrelenting elements.

To hike here is a privilege. Passing amongst creatures that were 3,000 years old when Christ was born lends an air of reverence to the occasion; people tred softly and speak in low voices.

Personally, I can't help but touch a few of them on my passage. To feel rough bark, smoothed burnishes of exposed inner wood, and the feather-like softness of their bright green needles, is an exercise that reinforces the reality of what would otherwise be an incomprehensible dreamscape--something too old to begin to fathom.

Although I spent three days wandering among these trees, taking many photographs, it's this image that struck me: a lone bristlecone with the most extraordinary limbs that seem to be reaching to the moon in an absolutely clear sky.

There's a tension in this composition, a gravity that seems to set the tree as the center of existence and the moon as its satellite. An ages-old drama in still life.

PRODUCTION DETAILS
This photograph of a crescent moon hovering between the bare branches of a twisted bristlecone pine tree high in the White Mountains of Inyo National Forest, CA, USA, was captured with a medium-format digital camera to reveal as much detail in the wood as possible. In order to display all of the tree and the moon in sharp focus, a series of 28 separate images were taken as a "focus stack," meaning each exposure is focused on a different part of the scene, then all 28 images are merged into layers where only the in-focus parts of each layer are preserved.

The result is a stunningly detailed composition that offers the greatest level of focus, clarity, and detail.

The image is available as a 20" x 16" print (printed on archival giclée paper), mounted to a backing board, signed, and framed. Each framed print includes its accompanying narrative, which is etched into a 3.5” x 5” black acrylic plaque.

Production of this print is limited to a total of 10 copies. Every edition is hand-signed with the appropriate edition number (e.g., “1 of 10”) and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

AVAILABILITY
Individual editions of this artwork are listed below. Click on an artwork image to go to its detail page, where you can:
- Read its associated narrative
- View how the framed print and its paired narrative plaque are displayed
- Review pricing, availability and other details
- Send Bryan an inquiry about the piece or begin the purchase process