In Awe of the Ordinary: How tree-porn can make you go blind.

Tree Porn: High Resolution Images.

Anyone who has both an interest in trees and an account with Facebook, Twitter or similar social media, is likely to encounter a stream of links to collections of images promising something like, “THE BEST, MOST KICK-ASS TREES IN THE WORLD!”  Seemingly a week cannot pass without clicking on a link to a similar collection of skilfully photographed images of extraordinary trees from around the world.

It wouldn’t be hard to believe that nearly all of the earth’s largest and most unusual trees have been seen and documented with high definition digital lenses; and while there is little that will stop me from following these types of links, increasingly I’ve begun to see these idealised photographs of spectacular trees almost as a type of tree-porn. Digital images of fantastical trees, always available on the screen at the click of a mouse; they offer fleeting gratification to the viewer without making any of the physical or time demands that a real encounter would entail.

I’m ‘guilty’ of enjoying such exotic tree and landscape images. They add in part to my motivation for overseas travel, which often turns into a pilgrimage of sorts, to seek out spectacular trees and landscapes. But now each time I return home, I am more and more aware of the value of the trees and woods on my doorstep. Is there a danger that the value of ‘ordinary’ trees may be trivialized by such tree-porn? In the process of admiring ‘THE WORLD’S BEST TREES’ perhaps our perceptions of everyday local trees becomes dulled.

Our attraction to images of monumental trees and spectacular landscapes is unlikely to be a problem; but we should not let it detract from our capacity to perceive the value in our local trees that we see each day. Opportunities for awe at ordinary trees and landscapes can pass unnoticed.  Much of nature is subtle, and being overwhelmed by stylised images of trees and nature can make it harder to tune into this subtly. Even the most mundane tree can be an object of potentially endless admiration. If we focus, there is so much to see.