the joshua tree, which isn’t really a tree at all, is everything i love in a tree. they grow in wonderfully difficult places to grow, allowing them to keep their distance from other joshua trees. the plant life in the area is unassuming and elevationally-challenged, to avoid competing for the eyes attention when gazing upon these “trees”. and they have that one thing i look for in most any tree captured by one of my cameras: character. it seems as if no two joshua trees look alike, and for all intents and purposes, they don’t - but with a catch.

a joshua tree’s shape is determined by each bloom the tree has. when a bloom occurs, the tree’s branch can spout in any different direction, or you may wind up with a seeming “joint” as it seemingly goes in the same direction it was headed. but each of these blooms on a branch is what causes its inability to grow straight, and what i like to call, its character! you may be thinking, i’ve seen some with no bumps, or joints! and that just means the first bloom has not yet occurred. but give it some time, the blooms will happen, and the tree will grow according to pure randomness.

and there is one final thing about joshua trees that i absolutely love: it’s what they stand for. joshua trees are an embodiment and a reminder of the solitude of the desert. they are a reminder to me of the immensity of the desert and the wilderness, along with the fragility of life in this world. and it’s that symbolism of the joshua tree to me, that makes it one of my favorite photographic subjects - or subjects in general. i can merely be driving along the road, spot a joshua tree or a group of them, and a smile automatically encompasses my soul.