I come from British Columbia, Canada, so that means it’s pretty hard to impress me with big trees. People come from all over the world to be awestruck by the magnificent old growth forest I grew up with.
But one tree I was impressed by is the incredible Baobab Tree in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.
It’s not necessarily the size of the tree. There are taller trees, there are wider trees, there are older trees, even though the Baobab can live to be thousands of years old. It’s really the shape and stature of the tree.
It often stands alone, looking like it has been plucked out of the ground and stuck back in upside down with it’s roots in the air. Like the camels of the tree world, it’s cork-like bark is fire resistant and holds thousands of gallons of water which helps it survive the long dry season. In fact, they have been known to survive for 10 years without rain!
The deep gouges in the tree’s trunk are from elephants that strip it’s bark to obtain moisture in the dry season.
Baobab trees make excellent photography subjects because of the shape of the tree, especially when you photograph them against a dramatic sky.
This is an HDR (high dynamic range) image made by combining three exposures in post processing. After combining the exposures, I finished it off by using Topaz Restyle to give it the colour style I wanted.
Hello, just dropping a comment to say, I love your photos! I stumbled upon your blog about 6 months ago and now follow your blog with Bloglovin’ so I don’t miss any of your posts. You have a great eye, and amazing talent with the camera. I think your work evokes so much raw mood and emotion, you really capture the spirit of each scene. Cheers! :0)
We have many Baobab [Adansonia digitata ]in the hot dry areas of South Africa. particularly in and around the Kruger National Park and the Zimbabwe lowveld. Local myth has it that the tree seed was planted upside down by hyena. It is also where ” Pesa” a rain god is said to live.. The fruit pod contains tartaric acid, and because of this, the tree is sometimes referred to as the cream of tree.Trees with a diameter exceeding 5 meters are estimated to be about 2 500 years old.
Ian
Excellent shot Anne! The texture really stands out.!
Incredible photo! It’s amazing to think a tree can live for so long and hold so much water! Thanks for sharing this!
Wow! Amazing tree! Enjoying your blog and great to meet you and Ray last week. Let’s catch up again this week (we leave Christmas Day).
Imagine the stories that the tree knows but will never ever tell!
Great Tree Foto , Anne !!
Anne,
I just realized that every time I finish reading your blog and looking at your photos, I’m smiling. Thanks.
John
Magnificent tree and beautiful photo Anne. I hope I look that good when I reach her age!
New Year Greetings from Gabriola!
Paul
Boabs also grow in northern Western Australia. One of them near Derby served as a jail for many years. Having been inside it I know there was no escape.