Three Trees. Two Views.

There’s something inherently obsessive about being a photographer. 

It’s not just about searching for and making a photo; it’s about trying to capture the truth of a moment—or, at least, a truth, the truth you see. Truth is slippery. You think you’ve got it pinned down, and then you take a step to the left or right, and suddenly it’s something else entirely. The trees you saw as monumental now seem small, insignificant even. Or, they loom larger than life, casting shadows that weren’t there before.

Listen to this article:

These trees are the same trees in both photographs, but they couldn’t be more different, depending on how you look at them.

In the first photo, you seem to be up close and personal with these trees. The telephoto lens compresses the perspective, brings them closer, and removes distractions from the background.

The blossoms appear so thick you can almost smell them, and it’s easy to imagine that if you stood there long enough, they might start to whisper secrets to you. The scene around them fades into a soft blur.

In the second photo, made from a different angle, you’re standing on the edge of the scene, seeing the trees and the world around them. The sky is darkening, the moon is hanging there like an afterthought, and these trees are just a part of a much larger landscape. They’re still beautiful, but they’re not the only thing. 

The trees are still connected, but the connection is less intense and less urgent. They’re part of a larger story now, including the parked cars and the parking lot bathed in late afternoon light. And, the moon. It’s a story about how beauty can exist in the most ordinary places, how life goes on around us, and whether we’re paying attention.

So what’s the point of all this? It’s simple, really: there is no one truth. The trees are the trees, but how you see them depends on where you’re standing. As a photographer—or a storyteller, or just a person trying to make sense of the world—it’s your job to find those different angles, step back, and then lean in, see the whole, and focus on the details.

That’s where the magic happens; it’s in the way you choose to frame the photo and the way you decide what to include and what to leave out. It’s in the way you tell the story, knowing that it could be told a thousand different ways, but you’ve chosen this one here, now.

PhotoCamp Daily is always free! But you can pledge support at any time.

Consider subscribing to The Westerville News and My Final Photo News. Also recommended is Into the Morning by Krista Steele.

My Final Photo News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support photography and commentary, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.