• Peter Lik Tree of Life - The Story Behind.

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  The most famous maple tree in the world

  You may saw the images of this tree many times before. And while admiring its marvelous symmetry and form, you were wondering about its story and its connection to Peter Lik.

  Before 2010 not too many people saw it. This maple tree was planted at a Japanese garden of Portland in the 60s when it was just 20 years old at a time. It makes it approximately 80 years old today. The tree got its first significant publicity boost in 2010 when Peter Lik introduced the first photograph featuring this tree. The glorious red crown and spreading branches resembling a lightning strike or a human body's vascular structure has made it a significant attraction at Lik's galleries.

  

  
  

  Since that time, Peter Lik produce many other titles featuring this tree, such as Inner Peace, Tree of Beauty, Autumn Spirit & Enchanted Heart. Millions of tourists visiting Las Vegas, Maui, and many other tourist destinations of USA must have caught a glimpse of this tree on one of the Lik's photographs.

  Once the tree images spread over social networks, many other photographers have started to look for this tree. And sure enough, the tree's location was passed along, driving thousands of visitors to the garden. Before Lik's successful introduction, this tree was known to locals and was taken home by many visitors as a wall calendar or a postcard. The publicity caused a virtual competition among photographers who flocked to the garden for the perfect photo. The tree is picky, however. One may have to pay many visits to catch the perfect combination of the state of the foliage, the light, and the weather. I visited the garden many times myself, and each time the tree looked different. In the humid year, the trunk was covered by a creamy layer of emerald moss. The cold and damp fall of 2016 made it drop all its leaves early. Next summer, I was lucky to get a shot that resulted in the "Zen in the Sunshine" piece.

  
  

  

  
  

  But I was not content as the red is what I was after. A few months have passed, and I was treated to a splendid red torch of the crown during my next visit. I didn't spare the battery in my camera and the space of every memory card in my bag, shooting away every square inch of it. The result was the Spirit of the Earth. A marvelous 300-megapixel beauty that is, unfortunately, is at the very end of its production run.

  
  

  

  
  
  

  I have produced this piece for my customers in various shapes and sizes, and each time, I get thrilled by its beauty. It truly is a wonder of nature.

  
  
  
  

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