{"id":113476,"date":"2025-10-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=113476"},"modified":"2025-10-06T09:56:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T13:56:51","slug":"rooted-in-obsession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/","title":{"rendered":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A spontaneous decision to travel in the fall of 2017 to take photos and sleep in the wilderness of the Tankwa Karoo region of South Africa changed my approach to photography forever. This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became my obsession. It led me on a journey to experience the essence of making meaningful images.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"503\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ouberg-Pass-into-Tankwa-Karoo-scaled-1-1024x503.jpg\" alt=\"Ouberg Pass into Tankwa Karoo scaled\" class=\"wp-image-113507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ouberg-Pass-into-Tankwa-Karoo-scaled-1-1024x503.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ouberg-Pass-into-Tankwa-Karoo-scaled-1-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ouberg-Pass-into-Tankwa-Karoo-scaled-1.jpg 1373w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><strong>Ouberg Pass: <\/strong>400 kilometres from my house. I dreamed of witnessing a sunset here.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When I packed my photography and camping gear for the trip, my only mission was to catch a sunset at the top of the magnificent Ouberg Pass. It was my second visit to the area, a vantage point that looks down deep and wide over the valley of Tankwa Karoo. The idea was wild because the location is approximately 400 kilometres away from home, off the tar road and far off the grid. On the way to the pass, I stopped when I saw this unexpected tree standing as a lone sentinel in the middle of the way out of nowhere. What it was guarding, I had no idea. Instead of rushing for the sunset over the valley, I paused my journey. I then took my time photographing and making a short video of this sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1011\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Pappa se Boom near Sutherland scaled\" class=\"wp-image-113506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Pappa se Boom: Father\u2019s Tree. Thought I was just striking a pose for the &#8216;gram under this tree, but little did I know I was standing under a piece of history.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I could lie and say something philosophical about me standing under this tree. However, the fact is that it\u2019s just a pose because this is what I had seen influencers do on the internet. Little did I know that this pose would mean more to me later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Lady on the Plane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A strange twist of fate found me sitting randomly next to a woman on a flight to Dubai. Then we struck up a conversation, sharing backgrounds. It transpired that the tree had actually been planted by her husband more than 40 years ago when he was a little boy. \u201cOur kids call it <em>Pappa se Boom,\u201d <\/em>she told me, which means <em>Father\u2019s Tree<\/em> in Afrikaans.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arranged by the universe, meeting this lady resulted in a family friendship and many photography adventures to visit the tree and its surrounding areas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cForty years?\u201d I thought to myself. \u201cHow many people must have gone past it and not noticed it? How many stopped and thought, why is there a lonely tree in the desert? Or how many birds must have nested there, and how many animals found shelters beneath? The blaze of how many summers had it felt, and how many storms did it endure? And how many stars gazed upon this tree?\u201d I was entranced for some unknown reason.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait\u2026 stars?\u201d I realized I could photograph this tree with the Milky Way over it. I decided that a night shoot was required. While my family thought I was not truly in my senses, we made a road trip to it. I took photos of the Milky Way with the tree in silhouette deep into the night. All this while my wife and son slept soundly in the car on the flattened seats.\u00a0 We breakfasted with sunrise over the valley at the top of the pass, then drove back in the morning. That was 1000 kilometers round trip just to shoot one tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"675\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Milky-Way-and-standing-under-Pappa-se-Boom-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Milky Way and standing under Pappa se Boom scaled\" class=\"wp-image-113508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Milky-Way-and-standing-under-Pappa-se-Boom-scaled-1.jpg 675w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Milky-Way-and-standing-under-Pappa-se-Boom-scaled-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Milky-Way-and-standing-under-Pappa-se-Boom-scaled-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Milky-Way-and-standing-under-Pappa-se-Boom-scaled-1-256x256.jpg 256w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Under the night sky, I stand beneath Pappa se Boom, feeling her past.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the tree drew me repeatedly. I conducted a night photography workshop there and sold several copies of its photos. I also made YouTube videos for my channel, signed and framed a copy of the print for my friend who planted it. Finally, I fulfilled my original dream of witnessing a magnificent sunset over the Tankwa. While simple, it is my special memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Separate Trip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Three years ago, on another spontaneous trip to this tree to photograph an unexpected snowfall in the area, I was taken aback to find that the tree had been uprooted from the ground by the recent heavy rains and extreme winds, due to the drought-stricken shallow roots. A piece of a fallen branch still lies in my studio. It&#8217;s a reminder of how this crazy obsession has represented my learning arc as a photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1011\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sunset-at-Ouberg-Pass-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sunset at Ouberg Pass scaled\" class=\"wp-image-113504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sunset-at-Ouberg-Pass-scaled-1.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Sunset-at-Ouberg-Pass-scaled-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Sunset at Ouberg Pass: Dream Came Tree<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does obsessive behaviour make me a better photographer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The tree&#8217;s allure profoundly influenced my journey as I found new locational obsessions. Over the years, this unstoppable fire in me took me to the local coastlines, nearby canola fields, and Sub-Saharan deserts. Repeated visits to these places and familiarity with different terrains refined my techniques, understanding of lighting, and appreciation of the various elements in a location. I became more patient with the process as I realised <em>we don\u2019t take photos\u2014we make them!<\/em> My approach to photography took a philosophical turn, too. The unseen and untold stories behind the camera before pressing the shutter button became part of photography. I met people on the road, made good friendships, grew my network, and became partners with local brands here in South Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One such example is on the lower slopes of Table Mountain.&nbsp; The lush Newlands Forest is a sanctuary where I have spent countless hours, through every season, exploring with and without my camera, familiar with every twist in the path. My favourite times are after and even during heavy rainfalls, photographing streams and waterfalls, and the freshness of the soil and greenery. Sometimes I just walk and feel the rain. This forest is the birthplace and coming of age of my long exposure and time-lapse photography. Photos from this forest have been published as book covers, and a giant wallpaper of the stream still adorns the walls of my old company office. It is a place of memories and a place of experiences for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1013\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Skeleton-Gorge-Waterfall-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"From the desert's dryness to the waterfall's refreshing embrace, each adventure fuels my passion for photography\" class=\"wp-image-113505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Skeleton-Gorge-Waterfall-scaled-1.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Skeleton-Gorge-Waterfall-scaled-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>From the desert&#8217;s dryness to the waterfall&#8217;s refreshing embrace, each adventure fuels my passion for photography.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Table Mountain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There was also a period of years during which I made countless visits to capture Table Mountain from a beach on the other side of the curved bay in various seasons. A quick glance at the promising clouds would have me grabbing my gear and dashing out, hoping I would beat the traffic in time to set up for the dipping sun and colourful skies performing their magic over the mountain skyline. These have become my best-selling images and are personal favourites hanging in my home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1011\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Table-Mountain-from-Blouberg-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Table Mountain from Blouberg: A natural wonder\" class=\"wp-image-113503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Table-Mountain-from-Blouberg-scaled-1.jpg 1011w, https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Table-Mountain-from-Blouberg-scaled-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1011px) 100vw, 1011px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Table Mountain from Blouberg: A natural wonder<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Friends and family call me \u201ccrazy\u201d for going to the same spots repeatedly. It is only through my obsessional revisiting of favourite locations, though, that I have seen every face of the places I love, in every light, in rain and blazing heat, from every angle and height, at night and day, with everything the sky has to offer. This has allowed me to showcase in my work the best of how I have experienced them, with my feelings shining through in my images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman&#8217;s obsession, leading him on a photography journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11111175,"featured_media":113506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17770],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photography"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman&#039;s obsession, leading him on a photography journey.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman&#039;s obsession, leading him on a photography journey.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1011\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thierry Jose\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@adorama\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@adorama\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thierry Jose\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thierry Jose\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5\"},\"headline\":\"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1197,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Photography\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman's obsession, leading him on a photography journey.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":1011,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Pappa se Boom: Father\u2019s Tree. Thought I was just striking a pose for the 'gram under this tree, but little did I know I was standing under a piece of history.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/rooted-in-obsession\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Photography\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/category\\\/photography\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\",\"name\":\"Adorama\",\"description\":\"Your destination for photography, video, audio, drones, electronics, computers, and more!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png\",\"width\":870,\"height\":252,\"caption\":\"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/adorama\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/adorama\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/adorama\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5\",\"name\":\"Thierry Jose\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Thierry Jose\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.adorama.com\\\/alc\\\/author\\\/thierryj\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama","description":"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman's obsession, leading him on a photography journey.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama","og_description":"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman's obsession, leading him on a photography journey.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/","og_site_name":"Adorama","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama","article_published_time":"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1011,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Thierry Jose","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@adorama","twitter_site":"@adorama","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thierry Jose","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/"},"author":{"name":"Thierry Jose","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/person\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5"},"headline":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney","datePublished":"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/"},"wordCount":1197,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg","articleSection":["Photography"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/","name":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney - Adorama","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-06T14:00:00+00:00","description":"This is a story of a lonely tree in the middle of nowhere that became Mujahid Ur Rehman's obsession, leading him on a photography journey.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Pappa-se-Boom-near-Sutherland-scaled-1.jpg","width":1011,"height":675,"caption":"Pappa se Boom: Father\u2019s Tree. Thought I was just striking a pose for the 'gram under this tree, but little did I know I was standing under a piece of history."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/rooted-in-obsession\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Photography","item":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/category\/photography\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Rooted in Obsession: How a Tree Inspired My Photojourney"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/","name":"Adorama","description":"Your destination for photography, video, audio, drones, electronics, computers, and more!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#organization","name":"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/42-West-Logo-Blue.png","width":870,"height":252,"caption":"42 West, the Adorama Learning Center"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adorama","https:\/\/x.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/adorama","http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/adorama"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/#\/schema\/person\/f9fa23cd59f7ea33a4ee906b7590cea5","name":"Thierry Jose","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/36ef69caa622fde8119f1a23f080fdb4f9d1731665af83152738def76abb918e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thierry Jose"},"url":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/author\/thierryj\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11111175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113476"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113520,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113476\/revisions\/113520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}