It was just after Christmas 2017 that I first began to notice them. I was strolling around my local neighbourhood getting some fresh air when I suddenly began to see them all over the place. They were propped up outside front walls or sometimes on the edge of the road. Most of them were on their own but a few had gathered together for support.
They were Christmas trees, of course, and they had recently played a prominent part in the festivities. There would have been a day when the tree was brought home and then stood in the front room and decorated. Perhaps decisions were made about where certain decorations should be placed; maybe there were family traditions that had been stuck to every year. Once the tree was adorned, brightly and intrigingly wrapped presents would be stacked around its base building the excitement for the big day.
After Christmas Day, however, it would be all downhill for the tree. Now there were no presents beneath it the needles that it was already shedding would become more obvious. Perhaps the tree, a temporary guest, was in a position that required some negotiation to get past which until now had been met with good humour. Now that the big day was past it was perhaps becoming more of an irritant having to lean sideways to be able to see all of the television screen.
And so the tree is stripped of its decorations and placed out on the street for the council to collect, and for me to photograph.
I have always been interested in more quirky subjects and sometimes this has included rubbish bins (yes I know!) so abandoned Christmas trees seemed an interesting subject to explore. I was also inspired by a friend who was looking for Christmas cards that were a little bit different to the traditional. I thought it might be nice to redecorate them with one or two baubles (to keep it simple) before I took the photograph.
In a celebration of renewal I give them a new lease of life.
You can view more of my photographs of old Christmas trees (and other festive related imagery) in my ClickAsnap album here.
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