Ishizuki

• Photographer
  Nathan Wirth
• Prizes
  Silver in Nature/Trees

Ishizuki, in the art form of Bonsai, refers to those trees that are trained to grow over rocks. Naturally, this reflects the real trees in nature that do the same. This image of a pine tree growing on a cliff near the shoreline of a Northern California beach reflects the inspiration that long ago inspired early Bonsai enthusiasts to recreate, in miniature, those tress that grow in nature by clinging to the rocks their roots spill over.

Using a variety of techniques– including long exposure, infrared, intentional camera movement and the occasional dip into compositing– Nathan Wirth, who was born and raised in San Francisco, is a self-learned photographer who seeks to express his unending wonder for the fundamental fact of existence. He attempts to focus on the silence we can sometimes perceive in between the incessant waves of sound which often dominate our perceptions of the world. Nathan earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English Literature and brings a deep appreciation of poetry to his photography.