Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees

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 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. 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 Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age, takes a different tack, illuminating the inherent spirituality of trees.

Table of Contents:
Diamond Nights by Beth Moon Revealing Darkness by Jana Grcevich Plates United States Great Britain Italy Namibia Botswana Captions Photography as Pilgrimage by Clark Strand Acknowledgments Index of Trees

About the Author :
Beth Moon is a photographer based in New York who has gained international recognition for her large-scale, richly toned platinum prints. Her prints are held in numerous public and private collections and have appeared in more than sixty solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Italy, England, France, Israel, Brazil, Dubai, Singapore, and Canada, receiving widespread critical acclaim. With this new book, she explores color photography for the first time. Clark Strand is an American author and lecturer on spirituality and religion. He is the first Senior Editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and the founder of Way of the Rose, a nonsectarian rosary fellowship with members around the world. His recent works are Waking Up to the Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age (2015) and Waking the Buddha (2014). Jana Grcevich is a Kathryn W. Davis postdoctoral fellow in astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. Her research focuses on dwarf galaxies and gas in space. She also works with Guerilla Science's Intergalactic Travel Bureau, which blends science and performance art to plan participants' space vacations.

Review :
“In Moon's beautiful shots, the Milky Way spills in a brilliant ripple across velvety skies.” - Entertainment Weekly “[Opens] our eyes to the glowing universe beyond.” - San Francisco Chronicle “The resulting images show awe-inspiring Tolkienian landscapes photographed in such sharp detail that when reproduced on the page they have the texture of oil paintings... More than an art book for photographers or those interested in nature, Moon's latest book will captivate all.” - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “There's a haunting connection between trees and the night sky that brings a powerful charge to photographer Beth Moon's book Ancient Skies, Ancient Trees.” - National Examiner