Biltmore Vineyard, Biltmore Estate – Asheville, NC

Upon sharing my obsession of “lone trees” with one of the owners of the Biltmore Estate, he mentioned there was a single tree on their estate that was special to his family and invited me out to take a look. It was on the west side of the estate that is typically closed to the public, so I didn’t know what to expect.

When I arrived, I was shocked by the exceptional beauty of the scene. It was one part Appalachia, one part vineyard – the combination felt like a fairytale (very fitting to be part of the Biltmore). I instantly committed myself to go back each morning at sunrise to try for a worthy exposure. The first morning, I was greeted by yet another surprise – the Canada Geese were using the lake as a migratory stop. Hundreds of geese were landing on the lake each evening and spending the night, taking off not long after sunrise each morning. I became determined to capture the departing geese as part of the scene, and after several mornings, all the elements finally came together.

I call this image The Witness because each sunrise I stood alone in the geographic center of Asheville watching autumn convert the vineyard and forests, watching the geese fly south for the winter. The lone tree stood as a stoic witness to the natural changes I saw over a two-week period, and I could not help but wonder what else the stately old tree had witnessed over the years. I understand from speaking with the family that the tree would have been there when this part of the Estate was converted from a dairy farm to a vineyard, the converting of Long Valley to create a lake for irrigation, and of course it would see all the micro changes in seasons every year.