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Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees
Photographer Beth Moon revisits the world’s oldest trees in the darkest places on earth, using color photography to capture vibrant nighttime skies. Throughout much of the world, night skies are growing increasingly brighter, but the force that protects the remaining naturally dark sky, unpolluted by artificial light, is the same that saves its ancient trees―isolation. Staking out some of the world’s last dark places, photographer Beth Moon uses a digital camera to reveal constellations, nebulae, and the Milky Way, in rich hues that are often too faint to be seen by the naked eye. As in her acclaimed first volume, Ancient Portraits of Time , these magnificent images encounter great arboreal specimens, including baobabs, olive trees, and redwoods, in such places as South Africa, England, and California. In her artist’s statement, Beth Moon describes the experience of shooting at night in these remote places. An essay by Jana Grcevich, postdoctoral fellow of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, provides the perspective of a scientist racing to study the stars in a world growing increasingly brighter. Clark Strand, the author of Waking Up to the Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age , takes a different tack, illuminating the inherent spirituality of trees.
116 pages, Hardcover
Published October 25, 2016
108 people want to read
About the author
Beth Moon
18 books10 followersBeth Moon, a photographer based in San Francisco, makes her exhibition prints exclusively with the platinum/palladium process, which allows for the greatest possible permanence and tonal range. Moon’s work has been published widely in magazines, and she is represented by galleries in the United States, Italy, Israel, Brazil, and Dubai.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 6, 2017
I think I need a category "trees". This is not so much a book to read, as to experience. There are some introductory essays, and brief paragraphs on the trees, but mostly it is a set of gorgeous pictures, evocative, luminous, that draw you into the landscape where the trees live. As we now all live with light pollution (in Chicago I can only see the moon now; I could never do my Girl Scout astronomy badge now), and even in South Dakota the I29 corridor along which I live has light pollution. This book shows what we are missing: a chance for wonder, reflection, inspiration, awe. I need to find out about the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. Its founder, David Milarch, has said, "Trees are solar collectors." "A study conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh suggests that trees may grow faster when more cosmic radiation hits the Earth's surface." latter is Beth Moon's words; both quotes are on p. 7.
Enjoy her "celestial safari" as she calls it. Beth, please, another book on ancient trees!
Enjoy her "celestial safari" as she calls it. Beth, please, another book on ancient trees!
October 14, 2020
A glorious book of photographs for anyone whose heart beats faster at the sight of starry night skies and imposing trees. The plates document nocturnal landscapes in the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Namibia, and Botswana while taking care to highlight constellations and other wonders of space. A section of captions follows and categorizes the plates by tree species and location to provide specific information about each. Beth Moon's work is some of the loveliest landscape photography in existence.
December 19, 2017
This is an excellent book of stunning photographs of ancient trees with the stars as their backdrop.
In her essay, author Beth Moon describes how she came to photograph trees, her travels to remote locations, and the methods she used to photograph these trees. One of the things I found especially interesting was when she told of two research studies that correlated tree growth with celestial activity. Researcher Lawrence Edwards found that "Tree buds change shape and size rhythmically all through winter, in regular cycles corresponding to the moon and planets. The oak, for example, appears to be linked with Mars, the beech with Saturn, and the birch with Venus. Overhead power lines disrupted this planetary influence." After learning this, the author started photographing trees at night, rather than in the daytime.
There were also two other essays in the book. In one, Jana Grcevich, a postdoctoral fellow in astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, talks about the science of darkness and light, and how it relates to her study of the stars. In the other, Clark Strand, an American author and lecturer on spirituality and religion, speaks of the spiritual connotations of these ancient trees as environmental witnesses of the earth for the last thousand years.
In the back Captions section, there was more information from the author about about the specific trees she photographed, her experiences photographing in each of the places she visited, and how she dealt with problems that came up. After reading this section, I am thankful that the author persevered through bad weather, light pollution, and other difficulties, to bring this book to life for the reader.
In her essay, author Beth Moon describes how she came to photograph trees, her travels to remote locations, and the methods she used to photograph these trees. One of the things I found especially interesting was when she told of two research studies that correlated tree growth with celestial activity. Researcher Lawrence Edwards found that "Tree buds change shape and size rhythmically all through winter, in regular cycles corresponding to the moon and planets. The oak, for example, appears to be linked with Mars, the beech with Saturn, and the birch with Venus. Overhead power lines disrupted this planetary influence." After learning this, the author started photographing trees at night, rather than in the daytime.
There were also two other essays in the book. In one, Jana Grcevich, a postdoctoral fellow in astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, talks about the science of darkness and light, and how it relates to her study of the stars. In the other, Clark Strand, an American author and lecturer on spirituality and religion, speaks of the spiritual connotations of these ancient trees as environmental witnesses of the earth for the last thousand years.
In the back Captions section, there was more information from the author about about the specific trees she photographed, her experiences photographing in each of the places she visited, and how she dealt with problems that came up. After reading this section, I am thankful that the author persevered through bad weather, light pollution, and other difficulties, to bring this book to life for the reader.
June 9, 2025
As always, I skipped the words and just looked at the pictures. I bet they say some good stuff though. However, with all the pictures that I saw, they were incredible! I felt like I could see some of the trees reaching for the stars, or some of them had crashed to the earth, or some of them were spreading their branches as far out as they could. It was a really cool take on both the beautiful night sky and these crazy trees that we don’t normally think much about.
November 18, 2016
Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees by Beth Moon is a collection of photographs taken of grand, isolated trees with the backdrop of night skies. Staking out some of the world’s last dark places, photographer Beth Moon uses a digital camera to reveal constellations, nebulae, and the Milky Way, in rich hues that are often too faint to be seen by the naked eye. As in her acclaimed first volume, Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time, these magnificent images encounter great arboreal specimens, including baobabs, olive trees, and redwoods, in such places as South Africa, England, and California.
Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees is a wonderful collection of photographs. The trees are isolated and out where light pollution cannot touch the night sky. This means that behind ancient trees we get to witness the expanse of space, with stars and all the glory to be seen in the night sky. The images and essays combine to offer anyone that picks up the book plenty to enjoy, and to contemplate about life, nature, and the environment. The book also includes an artist’s statement, in which Beth Moon describes the experience of shooting at night in these remote places, and an essay by Jana Grcevich, postdoctoral fellow of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, which provides the perspective of a scientist racing to study the stars in a world growing increasingly brighter. Clark Strand, the author of Waking Up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age, takes a different tack, illuminating the inherent spirituality of trees.
Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees would make a lovely addition to a art book collection, or a gift for those that love art and nature. The photographs are delightful and inspiring.
Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees is a wonderful collection of photographs. The trees are isolated and out where light pollution cannot touch the night sky. This means that behind ancient trees we get to witness the expanse of space, with stars and all the glory to be seen in the night sky. The images and essays combine to offer anyone that picks up the book plenty to enjoy, and to contemplate about life, nature, and the environment. The book also includes an artist’s statement, in which Beth Moon describes the experience of shooting at night in these remote places, and an essay by Jana Grcevich, postdoctoral fellow of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, which provides the perspective of a scientist racing to study the stars in a world growing increasingly brighter. Clark Strand, the author of Waking Up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age, takes a different tack, illuminating the inherent spirituality of trees.
Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees would make a lovely addition to a art book collection, or a gift for those that love art and nature. The photographs are delightful and inspiring.
September 9, 2016
A beautiful look at some of the eldest
and oft over looked residents of our
planet
Trees
Some possessing lifespans
that reach into the centuries
they are truly marvelous
soulful creatures
and oft over looked residents of our
planet
Trees
Some possessing lifespans
that reach into the centuries
they are truly marvelous
soulful creatures
September 8, 2021
Very little to actually read here, but what there is, is amazing to think about. The fact that a study shows that tree buds can change size and shape rhythmically during the winter corresponding to movements of the moon and planets. It's not just the influence of the Earth or the sun that affects trees. And that overhead power lines can interfere with those natural influences.
These photos are breathtaking. Looking at them is almost a form of meditation. And then to think about how old these trees are and what they've endured and overcome to still be alive hundreds and hundreds of years later.
Just a gorgeous book--and one that uses stunning photos to show us that we humans should be caring much more for the Earth now and in the future.
These photos are breathtaking. Looking at them is almost a form of meditation. And then to think about how old these trees are and what they've endured and overcome to still be alive hundreds and hundreds of years later.
Just a gorgeous book--and one that uses stunning photos to show us that we humans should be caring much more for the Earth now and in the future.
August 24, 2016
Surreal. Spectacularly eerie. Beautiful. Upon turning the page to the first photograph, I literally gasped at the beauty of the tree and sky. I was amazed at the massive amount of stars visible from Earth on a truly dark night. This is a fantastic book to say the least.
August 22, 2016
The photographs in this book are gorgeous and thought provoking. This book makes you pause in the middle of all of life's busyness and appreciate how vast the universe is and how much time has come before us to grow these giant trees.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
August 30, 2016
There aren't any words that can describe the beauty of the pictures in this book. Ancient trees against star lit skies create some of the most amazing photography that I have ever seen.
January 2, 2017
Beautiful introduction to accompany the amazing photographs taken by Beth Moon.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews