Above the Treeline by Sean Du

Issue 107

Among the many types of landscapes that I have explored, I find mountains to be the subject with which I can best express the sense of reverence that nature has inspired in me, and hiking above the treeline, into the alpine environment of tundra, snow, ice and rock, is how I get to know the mountains.

The mountains as nature's greatest sculptures their testimonies of its power are all the more evident the higher one goes. Here the making of the mountains becomes perceivable through the tilt and fold of the rocks and the remanence of valley-carving glaciers, while jewel-like tarns, varying colors of tundra, patches or blankets of snow decorate the work of art. Oftentimes the absence of trails above treeline necessitates navigation and route selection, which contributes greatly to ones awareness of the environment, while occasional exposure to drop-off heightens the mountain experience. What I am seeking here is a transformative quality of the mountains nowhere else to be found.

On or off trail, the result of years of picture making in various parts of the U.S. and Canada, "Above the Treeline" is a personal perspective in which the series introduces the viewer to the unseen beauty and character of the mountains.

Sean Du lives and works in Pasadena, California.
To view more of Sean's work, please visit his website.