I recently visited Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, New York. I had gone there earlier this year, but the light was not to my liking (too sunny with deep shadows). This time there were clouds that softened the sunlight without blocking the sun completely. There were few other visitors, which was fortunate because Innisfree is a place that invites reflection and contemplation. The grounds are large enough so that it is not difficult to find a place within it to be alone. It is beautifully designed and well maintained, with many landscape features added to enhance its already natural beauty. As I wandered around, I could not help but admire its many attractive attributes, such as a magnificent grouping of stones, carefully placed so to be in perfect balance with their surroundings, or a terrace of informally placed plantings of trees and shrubs, all neatly pruned. These garden highlights are what make Innisfree unique, but there are many more—but equally sublime—areas of the garden that can easily be overlooked.

Near the end of my visit, after I had taken in most of the highlights, I noticed this tree branch overhanging the marshy shoreline of the lake, and I felt the urge to make this image. If I had come upon this scene at the beginning of my visit, I suspect I would not have felt the same way. But after spending the afternoon here, I was in a calmer state, and that allowed me to see beyond the obvious to capture something more deeply felt.