{"id":99938,"date":"2025-07-28T17:42:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T17:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99938\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T17:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T17:42:11","slug":"this-photographer-shot-the-same-tree-for-10-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99938\/","title":{"rendered":"This Photographer Shot the Same Tree for 10 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Three<\/a>Yvan Bedard captured weather, natural phenomena, and celestial events with the elm tree in every shot. <\/p>\n

Yvan B\u00e9dard has been photographing the same elm tree for over 10 years, capturing it through the wind, the rain, the morning fog, and the fall; beneath the northern lights and under a solar eclipse. <\/p>\n

B\u00e9dard tells PetaPixel that the very first photo of the elm was in September 2014, when he captured it silhouetted in front of a rising super Moon. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Where it all started in 2014; a super Moon rises behind the elm. <\/p>\n

\u201cTrees and rocks are my favourite topics for landscape photography, as I see them as symbols of human life duration vs eternity,\u201d he says. \u201cFurthermore, elms are becoming rare because of the Dutch elm disease. Having a threatened tree next to an everlasting astronomical body conveyed additional meaning to this nature photography.\u201d <\/p>\n

The elm tree is located near where he lives in Neuville, Canada, just four kilometers (2.4 miles) from his house. B\u00e9dard says he\u2019s drawn to the tree because it \u201cappears lonely\u201d and can be framed by other trees. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the following years, I went back to this tree to make other photographs because I liked its direction towards the rising Sun and weather conditions such as morning fog,\u201d he explains. \u201cAfter a few years, I thought about the possibility of making a series, using this elm as a witness of local natural events.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>The NEOWISE comet. \u2018I changed my composition to make the tree appear tiny in comparison to the comet\u2019s tail, conveying the feeling of our smallness in comparison to the size of the Universe.\u2019 \"A<\/a>Morning fog. \"Two<\/a>Belt of Venus. \"A<\/a>Colorful fall. <\/p>\n

B\u00e9dard had to think about which natural events he could capture with the elm in situ. It meant he had to identify the best moment to capture an astronomical or meteorological event, such as a passing comet or the Belt of Venus phenomenon. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe most challenging shot was that of the partial solar eclipse of June 10, 2021,\u201d B\u00e9dard adds. \u201cThe eclipse started after sunrise and was at its maximum around 8 AM. The problem was the presence of small bands of clouds. Contrast changed continuously. Sometimes the Sun would be completely hidden, sometimes very little. Most photos made that morning were unusable.\u201d <\/p>\n

B\u00e9dard ended the project on May 11, 2024, when the aurora borealis shone above the tree; a photo he had been \u201cwaiting for years\u201d to capture. \u201cAurora borealis is not frequent in my village, near Quebec City, in Canada. When they happen, they are rather weak or often behind clouds.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>B\u00e9dard says the solar eclipse was the most difficult shot to capture. \"Green<\/a>The final shot of the series \u2014 the aurora borealis. \"Snow-covered<\/a>Covered in frost. \"A<\/a>Winter. <\/p>\n

Professional photographer B\u00e9dard typically exhibits in art galleries around the world, but his exhibition Ten Years in the Life of a Tree in Neuville was shown locally for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to share local wonders that often go unnoticed to awaken the consciousness of our surroundings,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I wanted to provide an opportunity for school children visiting the local library to discover and learn about these phenomena.\u201d <\/p>\n

B\u00e9dard, a retired Emeritus Professor at Laval University, added basic explanations of the natural phenomena occurring in his pictures and says it triggered fantastic reactions in people who did not know such things could happen in Neuville. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe person in charge of the library told me that a child was very proud to tell her that he saw THE REAL TREE that appeared in the photographs,\u201d says B\u00e9dard. \u201cI am very proud of such a contribution to increase the awareness of my fellow citizens and children regarding natural phenomena they did not necessarily know.\u201d<\/p>\n

More of B\u00e9dard\u2019s work can be found on his website<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and Facebook<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits:<\/strong> Photographs by Yvan B\u00e9dard.<\/p>\n