Bedford Oak Still Life Captures Collision of Autumn and Winter

The day after the October 2011 snowstorm, Sylvain Coté knew the time had come to finally take pictures of the Bedford Oak.

"I had always wanted to photograph that tree, but was just waiting for the right moment," said South Salem resident. "This was it."

Though the town advised against it, Coté got into his car and drove south on Route 121, which was littered with tree limbs and debris from the storm. "I never had to get out my chainsaw," he joked. He arrived at the tree just after 8 a.m. on Oct. 29—perfect timing, he said.

"Ten minutes earlier would have been too much shade and ten minutes later the snow would have melted too much," he said of being in the right place at the right time—a photographer's dream.

Trained as a visual arts photographer in his native Canada, Coté spent the early part of his career shooting commerical projects in Montreal. After marrying an American and moving to the U.S. Coté changed directions and now owns a firm called , specializing in energy-efficient home renovations.

Entitled "The Morning After," the photograph captures the juxtaposition of two seasons colliding, with autumn-colored branches blanketed in snow. The photograph has been printed on a 72-inch canvas and it's on display at the through the end of March.

Coté is hoping to find a rotating home for the photograph before it's auctioned off at this fall's "Autumn and Antiques" fund raiser.

If you are a local small business owner and would like to display Coté's photograph, send an email to Patch.