Evidence of Change...what remains

For years I photographed this tree overlooking Lake Michigan from the Cowles Bog dune ecosystem. Over time, however, I became less interested in the tree itself and more interested in the landscape surrounding it.

Cowles Bog is one of the most remarkable examples of ecological succession along Lake Michigan's southern shoreline. What was once open sand has gradually been colonized by grasses, shrubs, and woodland. This tree no longer survives, while many of the surrounding trees continue to thrive. Although I don't know exactly why it died, it remains as a reminder that succession is an ongoing process of change, where some species prosper, others decline, while the landscape continues to evolve.

Increasingly, I find myself less interested in photographing the landscape itself and more interested in photographing evidence of change.