I once asked a psychiatrist what it was about this picture that made it one of the most popular of all my images. She answered immediately, “It’s because it is safe and scary at the same time.”  

I often use this image to explain why photographers should use MANUAL setting on a camera. If this picture was taken on AUTOMATIC setting, you could see details in the tree bark, but the light areas would be completely blown out.

One of the most essential things to learn about photography is that cameras don’t see the same way we do. They simply don’t have the latitude. A lot of the best images are created by taking advantage of the limitations your camera.

I took this picture of an olive grove at dawn, but my main focus was to capture the feeling of being there. I purposely underexposed the image for the lighter areas, which meant that the trees became much darker. That dark gothic quality made the trees even more spooky and made the soft, spring-green grass all the more beautiful.

This picture is the opening image in my book Why You Were Born, which opens with this quote: “From without, no wonderful effect is wrought within ourselves, unless some interior, responding wonder meets it.” —Herman Melville

The book has been sold out for years, however you can download a pdf for free.

I-5 Rest Stop, Corning, California 2005