A walk in the park - January

On a clear January afternoon, in the recreation ground, the sky was mostly blue and the sun low in the sky so out came the camera. My interest, on this occasion, was specifically the trees, as I wanted to find and then share the glorious pride of the winter tree, standing unabashed with no impatience for the clothing of its spring leaves. There are so many different trees around but many of the shots were too ordinary or showed a little too much of the surrounding area, taking attention away from the tree itself.

I like the silver birches, the pale bark almost glowing as it reflects the ambient light. I find the relaxed droopiness of the general tree shape to be soothing - the tree stands tall while the branches are allowed to drape lazily, the catkin buds creating a little decorative treat on closer inspection.

I've also found there's something quite gentle about winter sun in the afternoon; the bright, yet almost watery, light casts a peaceful mood over the setting. The playground immediately to the left of this scene was chaotic with noisy after-school children, yet I just feel peace when I look at the picture.

My final picture from this outing gives a good example of how opinions can change when you look at something from a different point of view. I don't usually like pollarded trees, I feel the stumpy branches are clumsy and just look out of place in their customary surroundings. However, this time I was looking at shape, silhouette and contrast, concerned only with the tree and the sky, and ignoring the rest of the landscape. To my surprise, I found that the tree was showing a distinctly feisty personality. The cluster of new shoots were an expression of triumphant defiance. It may only be a tree but it's a tree with attitude and I found myself celebrating its determination to keep growing.

There are other pictures taken on this trip to the recreation ground but my interest is in finding new ways to look at things, looking for artistic expression in the everyday landscape. I will share my favourites and explain why I like them; I hope you like them too.