In the Round: Fine Art Tree Photography from Bellingham, WA

A 15-image fine art series of Bellingham autumn trees, made with the Pep Ventosa technique.

A selection from the In the Round series. All 15 images are available as prints.

Every fall, Bellingham turns itself into a painting. Maples go crimson, Ginkos turn gold, and the whole city glows against the gray Pacific Northwest sky. In the Round is my new fine art photography series. I made it by looking at ordinary trees on ordinary Bellingham streets and refusing to let the camera hold still.

What is the Pep Ventosa technique?

The Pep Ventosa technique is a form of intentional camera movement (ICM) photography. It is named for the Spanish photographer Pep Ventosa, who is known for his painterly, abstract images of trees. Instead of a single sharp exposure, the photographer makes a series of overlapping frames while moving the camera in a deliberate rhythm. The frames are then blended into one multiple exposure image.

The result is a tree that is still recognizable but soft and layered, with a feeling of motion. Branches become brushstrokes and leaves become color fields. The background dissolves into a haze of light. It’s the point where photography starts to look like impressionist painting.

Why trees, and why Bellingham?

Every tree in this series was found within Bellingham, Washington: in neighborhoods, parking lots, traffic circles, and in front of office buildings. None of them are in a forest or a national park. I wanted to show that fall color in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t require a long hike. It’s often just outside your door, and most of us drive right past it.

The series title, In the Round, refers to the rounded canopies of these trees and to the circular, sweeping motion of the camera as each image was built. The trees are surrounded by their city, and the city blurs around them in turn.

The series

In the Round is made up of 15 images, and the mockup above shows only a few of them. Together they follow Bellingham’s trees through the peak of autumn: fiery crimson maples, glowing golden canopies, and quieter amber trees in soft evening light. Each one is its own small study of how fall color behaves when you let time into the frame. The settings range from neighborhood corners to office plazas, and the backgrounds dissolve into the same painterly haze.

Every image in the series is available as a fine art print. Browse all 15 to find the tree that suits your space.

Bring the series home

The In the Round series is available as fine art prints through my Darkroom store. These prints suit anyone who loves abstract nature photography, impressionistic landscape art, or Pacific Northwest wall art. They work well in living rooms, offices, and gifts for people who love autumn.

Browse the In the Round collection →

You can find more of my work at gerrycreighton.darkroom.com and on Instagram at @gerry_creighton.

Gerry Creighton is a photographer, web developer, and trail builder based in Bellingham, WA. He shoots with Sony Alpha cameras.