Iep met heksenbezemvorming c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph, “Iep met heksenbezemvorming,” meaning Elm with witch's broom formation, sometime in his life. I love how this whole picture is captured in a narrow range of light and dark. It's almost like a drawing. The sepia tone reminds me of something old but also, the way the light falls on the branches feels timeless. I feel like I am looking into the past. Check out the way the tree's branches reach out in all directions, it's so wild and free. It’s like the tree is dancing for us. Look at the bottom right corner where the dark post fades into the foreground of the ground. You can almost feel the wetness of the earth. It's amazing how he captured so much with so little. It makes me think of Karl Blossfeldt who photographed plants in the early twentieth century. He had a similar way of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Like them, Tepe invites us to see the world around us with fresh eyes.