This Photographer Shot the Identical Tree for 10 Years

Yvan Bédard has been photographing the identical elm tree for over 10 years, capturing it by the wind, the rain, the morning fog, and the autumn; beneath the northern lights and below a photo voltaic eclipse.

Bédard tells PetaPixel that the very first picture of the elm was in September 2014, when he captured it silhouetted in entrance of a rising tremendous Moon.

“Trees and rocks are my favourite topics for landscape photography, as I see them as symbols of human life duration vs eternity,” he says. “Furthermore, 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.”

The elm tree is positioned close to the place he lives in Neuville, Canada, simply 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) from his home. Bédard says he’s drawn to the tree as a result of it “appears lonely” and will be framed by different bushes.

“In 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,” he explains. “After a few years, I thought about the possibility of making a series, using this elm as a witness of local natural events.”

Bédard had to consider which pure occasions he might seize with the elm in situ. It meant he needed to establish the very best second to seize an astronomical or meteorological occasion, reminiscent of a passing comet or the Belt of Venus phenomenon.

“The most challenging shot was that of the partial solar eclipse of June 10, 2021,” Bédard provides. “The 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.”

Bédard ended the venture on May 11, 2024, when the aurora borealis shone above the tree; a photograph he had been “waiting for years” to seize. “Aurora borealis is not frequent in my village, near Quebec City, in Canada. When they happen, they are rather weak or often behind clouds.”

Professional photographer Bédard usually reveals in artwork galleries world wide, however his exhibition Ten Years within the Life of a Tree in Neuville was proven regionally for apparent causes.

“I wanted to share local wonders that often go unnoticed to awaken the consciousness of our surroundings,” he says. “And I wanted to provide an opportunity for school children visiting the local library to discover and learn about these phenomena.”

Bédard, a retired Emeritus Professor at Laval University, added primary explanations of the pure phenomena occurring in his footage and says it triggered implausible reactions in individuals who didn’t know such issues might occur in Neuville.

“The 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,” says Bédard. “I 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.”

More of Bédard’s work will be discovered on his website, Instagram, and Facebook.

---

Image credit: Photographs by Yvan Bédard.