The Perspiring Palm

San Miguel, Bulacan, Philippines 2020
Premium 260gsm Photo Paper Luster Finish - 20"x28"

There's a big coconut tree in our backyard. The leaves are like 16ft long—its massive. Every time a leaf dies and falls to the ground, I have to cut it into multiple pieces before burning it. Aside from having to clean up after it—the tree provides many benefits, such as shade, coconuts and photo opportunities.

Being in frequent proximity to this tree made me realize that I had no idea what coconut tree bark looked like, and it looks quite strange. If someone asked me to draw a coconut tree, in detail, I would've never imagined the bark to look that way—it's alien. So, naturally, I took a bunch of photos of it; this is my favourite one.

It rained in the morning, and then the sun came out. It was mid-day, hot, and the water captured by the massive leaves were still making its way down the tree stump—interesting architecture now that I think about it. It's like the tree was designed to water itself; you don't really see that with trees in North America. Anyways, this set of events created a look to the tree that caught my eye, mainly because it accentuates the strange look of the tree bark, and it also makes it look like the tree is sweating in the heat, just like I was.

Some photos don't have any deep meaning, some photos are strictly for the aesthetic, and this is one of them. It's currently my phone wallpaper. I'm in my green era—and I've been in it for a while. In colour psychology, green represents balance, harmony, calmness. It helps relieve stress and calms the mind. It lives between the vibrant, optimistic, lively energy of yellow and the strong, serene, grounding stability of blue. This is perfect if you're looking to add some green in your room.