High Meadow, Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Santa Clara County, CA, 1/12/2006
One winter I made a practice of visiting the High Meadow of Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve at dawn each day to capture the early sunlight on this east-facing hillside. Shortly after sunrise one morning I looked south and spotted this pair of dormant oak trees in the first direct golden light of day. I was drawn to the graceful yet gnarled forms of the two oaks seemingly facing each other as in a dance, and to the contrast of the warm colors of the trees and nearby grass with the cool hues of the blue sky and shaded hills. These opposites and symmetries created a composition of great balance and harmony. The 3,800 acre Rancho San Antonio is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains by the town of Los Altos Hills, CA.
