Thanks to Gump for initiating and judging the previous challenge, and for choosing my shot so that I get to set and judge the next one.
Trees help define the character of a place, they reflect the seasons, and they record the passage of time during their life cycles. The scope is wide here - woodlands, individual trees, shrubs and woody vines, driftwood and their landscape contexts are all just fine.
I'll leave the format of the challenge, discussed in the previous thread, as it is for now and allow for a bit more discussion of that - you may wish to add your own suggestions with your entries.

Here are the (usual!) rules, plus I have added Ricoh cameras just to make that clear (My GR-III is a great tree camera!).

Rules
1. Post ONE photo (max 1024x1024).
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme.
3. Post your single picture in this thread and explain what motivated you to take the picture and/or how you feel it represents the weekly theme (especially if it's not obvious).
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and choose one of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus an additional day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax, Ricoh or Samsung DSLR camera can be used.
8. Pictures can be from any time frame, not just within the week of the current theme.
9. In case the winner of a challenge is unable to become the judge for the next challenge, they will PM the #2 winner for that person to be the judge.

Read more at: About the weekly challenges - PentaxForums.com

Contest runs through to early evening (EST) of August 5.

Here are a few examples from my collection:












I look forward to your own interpretations.

[jacamar]

OK - time's up - I'll post the winners tomorrow.

[jacamar]

WINNERS

Well, a very respectable response this time, that's for sure with excellent images taken with a wide variety of moods, settings and textures and quite a few monochrome or near-monochrome. I'm packing to leave on a trip this morning so apologies for a briefer appreciation of the entries.

For me the standout was cooks 333's shot of the waterfalls set in a forest - "The Trees of Krka" - I liked the light and spray the receding perspective of the trees and the falls, and I do have a preference for preserving the life of moving water in a short rather than a long exposure.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/44753445801_f25338ea05_b.jpg

Other excellent shots were SpecialK's tree hanging on for dear life, atupdate's interesting reflections, and Hattinifnatt's Irish sunset. Stephen Hampshire's majestic lone tree in an agricultural landscape (taken from a train?) also gets an honourable mention.

So it's up to cooks 333 to set a new theme and to manage the next challenge.

Thanks for all the great contributions everyone.

[cooks333]

Wow! Thanks much, jacamar. Definitely some wonderful tree images from everyone. Next challenge is up!