Tree Questionnaire 2: Scott Smith

My 2nd Tree Questionnaire was completed by Scott Smith, Photographer. As he mentions, he is involved in an exciting project of producing 29 large-format photos of exceptional Palm Trees for an exhibition. Scott was also a committed Treesaver who worked tirelessly to help save some of the Ficus Trees on the streets of Santa Monica. Here are his answers:

Q: What is your first memory of a tree?
S: Flowering plum tree in our front yard (Baltimore) - deep dark maroon leaves.

Q: Which is your favorite tree of all?
S: A climbable ancient oak.

Q: Could you name or describe an artistic depiction of a tree that is special to you?
S: Bernice Abbott's b&w photo of birds in a tree.

Q: Was there a particular person who introduced you to the importance of trees?
S: Big Jim (older kid) who explained the building of tree forts in terms of parental escape.

Q: What is the most useful quality a tree can provide?
S: Shelter (sitting under, as well as building material).

Q: If you were a tree which would you be and why?
S: Coconut palm - lives at the beach, leans out over lapping waves and watches girls in bikinis.

Q: Which is the happiest tree?
S: Ficus - innocent and optimistic, the original lollipop tree drawn by kids.

Q: Are there any trees that are part of your life now?
S: Twenty nine palms captured on film for my exhibition prints and three live palms on the sunporch.

Q: What would you do, or like to do, to help trees?
S: Been there, done that with Treesavers.

Q: What would you say to future generations about the importance of trees?
S: Trees are our planet's lungs - protect them.


Some weeks ago, before completing the Questionnaire, Scott sent me his photo below, as of a tree he "fell in love with tonight"!