Jack Gescheidt, TreeSpirit Project founder, is an environmental artist who makes photographs of people, naked and vulnerable, among trees. His respectful, deliberate process heightens people’s feelings of connection to nature and appreciation for the beauty of their bodies.
Collectively, the photographs — and people’s powerful, healing experiences — raise awareness of the critical role trees play in all our lives, both globally and personally.
An in-depth interview with Jack about TreeSpirit, its evolution, and more, by Fstoppers.com. November 2011
JACK’S ROOTS
Jack Gescheidt, TreeSpirit Project founder, a professional photographer since 1988, was born and raised in and around the wilds of New York City and upstate New York by two professional photographer parents, Rae Russel and Alfred Gescheidt.
Jack, these days. Photo @ Phil Hutcherson, RealPeoplePhotography.com
He became a professional photographer himself in 1988. His commercial and editorial photography has appeared in hundreds of places: magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, posters, greeting cards and in advertising: http://www.JackPhoto.com
The TreeSpirit Project is his environmental art project, a labor of love, serendipitously begun in 2003 as a collection of photographs depicting humans in communion with trees. Read how it began.
“TreeSpirit” combines Jack’s lifelong passions for nature, photography, people, writing, speaking and environmental advocacy. It is fueled by some of his most powerful childhood memories in the countryside: exploring streams and ponds, playing in fields and in the downpour of thunderstorms, and of course climbing trees.
Jack, age 6. Photo © Alfred Gescheidt, Gescheidt.com
TreeSpirit imagery has appeared in media around the world. Click: “In The News.”
“Out On A Limb,” a documentary film about Jack, is in development. It chronicles Jack making TreeSpirit photographs, and the moving stories of volunteer participants whose lives have been touched: http://www.TheTreeSpiritFilm.com
Jack now lives in the woods of west Marin county, CA. He feels grateful to daily be in the inspiring and soothing company of towering redwoods and Douglas Firs.
5 min. introductory video to Jack and The TreeSpirit Project:
Production, Principal Videography and Editing by Tamara Gurbis/Phenomenal Films, LLC