This photograph is one of the first appearances of Muench’s favorite tree: the bristlecone pine. As time went on, Muench’s love for the subject became more evident. Bristlecones appear consistently over his body of work, both as part of a larger landscape and as standalone subjects.
The separation between trees and ground, as well as leaves and sky, demonstrate his early attention to light. While certain highlights are blown out, many of the tree trunks retain detail. Muench’s instinct to frame objects in his photographs seems to be developing, as the moon is tucked between the trunk of a tree and the ground. The cloudless sky focuses the viewer’s attention on the bristlecones pines rather than the moonset.
This image was displayed in the exhibit Boundless Vision (2008) at the G2 Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and at Keystone Gallery in Santa Barbara, California in 1981.
Taken in Patriarch Grove, White Mountains, California.