Master Tree Series – Featuring Eminence and Quintessence by Martin Osner

Step into the contemplative beauty of nature with the Master Tree Series by Martin Osner—an evocative collection of fine art prints celebrating the quiet strength and poetic presence of trees. With cornerstone works like Eminence and Quintessence, this series explores texture, tone, and atmosphere through in-camera multiple exposures and layered artistry. These limited edition prints transform natural scenes into painterly impressions, offering collectors a refined and meditative glimpse into Osner’s visual interpretation of resilience and grace in the landscape.

The Story Behind the Master Tree Series

The Master Tree Series was photographed and created entirely in-camera by Martin Osner in one of his most treasured locations—a hidden valley in the foothills of the mountains near Swellendam, along South Africa’s famed Garden Route. Working with multiple exposures, layered textures, and subtle abstraction, Osner transformed familiar trees into ethereal impressions of majesty, wisdom, and tranquillity.

The works in this collection—such as Eminence, which evokes the dignity of eldership, and Quintessence, a meditation on mood and harmony—were captured using light, instinct, and patience in the moment of exposure. For years, Osner kept this valley’s location secret. But after several successful exhibitions, including his acclaimed Aura collection, he chose to share it with students.

Each year, he now leads a small group through a specialised Swellendam Art & Photography Retreat, teaching the same in-camera techniques used to create this body of work. Learn more about the Swellendam Retreat →

Quintessence No.2

I photographed Quintessence No.2 in a remote valley near Swellendam—one of my most treasured places to work. This scene, with a small cluster of trees standing in golden grasslands, immediately caught my eye. Subtle elements, such as fences and distant telephone lines, were intentionally left in; they speak softly of man's presence within the landscape.

The textures in this image were captured from a nearby pool of water scattered with rocks and natural debris. I used these as overlays through in-camera multiple exposures to bring depth and an earthy tactility to the final piece. For me, this image conveys calm, balance, and the layered beauty that emerges when we slow down and look more closely.

Artwork Details:

• Artist: Martin Osner

• Medium: Archival Print on Fine Art Paper

• Size: 90 x 60 cm (Including Border)

• Edition: Limited Edition of 7

• Certificate of Authenticity: Included

• Availability: Print is currently available

• Custom Sizes: Available on request

Eminence No.2

I photographed Eminence No.2 on one of those golden late afternoons when everything aligned—the light, the silence, and the presence of the tree itself. There’s something about this tree that has always felt dignified, almost regal. It stood alone in a quiet clearing, and I was immediately drawn to its structure and energy.

Using my in-camera multiple exposure technique, I layered seven frames of the tree to build depth and weight, followed by two additional layers taken from surrounding textures—reflections in water, fragments of stone, subtle elements of earth. The warm sky behind the tree gave the image a richness that I hadn’t planned for, but welcomed. To me, this piece speaks of majesty, wisdom, and quiet strength—qualities I often find in trees, especially when I stop to see them.

Artwork Details

• Artist: Martin Osner

• Edition: 7

• Medium: Archival print on fine art paper

• Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)

• Custom sizes available on request

• Availability: Print is currently available

• Certificate of Authenticity included

Quintessence No.6

This image is one of my favourites in the Quintessence series. I photographed it in the valley itself, close to the river that quietly weaves through this hidden sanctuary. Following a particularly wet season, the grasslands had grown thick and lush, offering a textured foreground that caught the light beautifully. The trees stood gently silhouetted against the gorge in the background, and the whole scene felt timeless.

Like the rest of the collection, this photograph was created entirely in-camera using layered exposures, merging the landscape with earthy textures to evoke a feeling of stillness and tranquillity. For me, this piece captures the essence of a place I’ve come to revere, both as an artist and as a seeker of quiet moments.

Artwork Details

• Artist: Martin Osner

• Edition: 7

• Medium: Archival print on fine art paper

• Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)

• Custom sizes available on request

• Availability: Print is currently available

• Certificate of Authenticity included

Eminence No.5

Eminence No.5 was captured during a gentle autumn afternoon, when the last of the season’s golden leaves were still clinging to the branches. I had returned to the valley with a specific vision in mind—to photograph this particular tree, which I had passed many times before. On this day, its bowed shape and rustling canopy caught the light in a way that made it feel almost like a curtain parting on stage.

I used my in-camera multiple exposure method to build the image, layering several frames of the tree itself to enhance its structure, followed by two additional exposures taken from fallen leaves and surrounding forest textures. The softness and motion in the branches give this piece a whisper-like quality, inviting stillness and contemplation. To me, Eminence No.5 captures that delicate balance between movement and rootedness that defines the spirit of this collection.

Artwork Details

Artist: Martin Osner
Edition: 7
Medium: Archival print on fine art paper
Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)
Custom sizes available on request
Availability: Print is currently available
Certificate of Authenticity included

Quintessence No.4

This is one of the more low-key, moody compositions in the Quintessence collection. I photographed it late in the afternoon when the shadow of the surrounding mountain cast a cool softness over the foreground, while just enough light still kissed the grasses and background. It created a natural vignette, and I was immediately drawn to the atmosphere it evoked.

Shape is everything in this kind of impressionistic art photography. The one perfectly formed triangular tree in the distance became the anchor of the entire scene. I used multiple in-camera exposures to gently blend the layers of grass, trees, and earthy textures, creating a print that feels quiet, reflective, and deeply rooted.

Artwork Details

Artist: Martin Osner
Edition: 7
Medium: Archival print on fine art paper
Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)
Custom sizes available on request
Availability: Print is currently available
Certificate of Authenticity included

Eminence No.1

This was the first artwork I created in the Eminence series, utilising a layered multiple exposure technique. At the time, I was still experimenting with this method, and in this particular image, I was pretty loose with the alignment of frames. Usually, such misalignment would be a mistake—but here, it somehow worked. Call it luck; I prefer to think of it as a fortunate accident. The effect lends the piece a subtle cubist undertone, which enhances its abstract charm.

I also love the bluish-green cast in this image, which came from working in soft shade that day. It gives the piece a moody elegance, allowing the branches and overlays to blend gently with the surrounding textures. Eminence No.1 remains a special piece in the series—a beginning that shaped the artistic voice of the collection.

Artwork Details
Artist: Martin Osner
Edition: 7
Medium: Archival print on fine art paper
Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)
Custom sizes available on request
Availability: Print is currently available
Certificate of Authenticity included

Quintessence No.3

When I came across this composition, it was around midday—normally not a time I enjoy photographing because the light tends to be flat and non-directional. I didn’t hold much hope initially, but something about the balance between the distant trees and the textured grasses in the foreground kept me interested.

The real turning point came when I double-exposed a nearby bush into the composition, which added a wonderful sense of movement and energy to the scene. I then overlaid several texture frames to deepen the surface quality. The result is an image that surprised me—a piece where timing, intuition, and experimentation aligned beautifully.

Artwork Details

Artist: Martin Osner
Edition: 7
Medium: Archival print on fine art paper
Size: 90cm x 60cm / 35" x 24" (Including border)
Custom sizes available on request
Availability: Print is currently available
Certificate of Authenticity included

More Than Just Trees – Photographs That Speak of Character and Fortitude

In this collection, photography steps beyond the pursuit of technical perfection. Here, mood, texture, and atmosphere take centre stage—where softness is embraced, and imperfection becomes intentional. These are not just pictures of trees; they are visual poems layered with memory, mystery, and light. The camera becomes more than a recording device—it is a creative partner, a brush that paints with shadow and illumination. This is the art of photography at its most expressive, where nature is both subject and storyteller.

To view more artworks from the Master Tree Series, including size options and edition details, you’re invited to visit the full collection in the online gallery.

Suppose this body of work resonates with you and you’d like to learn how these techniques are taught in practice. In that case, you can find out more about the Swellendam Art & Photography Retreat—a deeply immersive creative experience held in the very valley where these photographs were made.