“Tired Branch”
This tired dead branch looked out of place against the bright colors of the autumn leaves. Besides the obvious contrast of the dull brown against the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds, the branch was also a contest of the dead leaves still hanging and the leaves that had just fallen on the ground. Soon they too will turn to the same brown as the leaves hanging above. We cannot evade the circle of life.
Neighbor’s Cherry Orchard
There is an old cherry orchard just up the road from our house. In fall, the leaves turn shades of yellow and orange. The grasses turn to a golden straw color. Birds are everywhere fluttering about. A hawk frequently perches on an overhead orchard fan. It is a nice place to walk and explore during all seasons of the year.
Sections of the orchard are being removed each year to make room for new young trees. I do not know how much longer the old stand of trees will remain. So until then, I will explore as often as I can. I will present images of a walk I took about a month ago in my next few posts.
“Pure Energy”
How can I make a simple branch covered with frost pop out from its surrounding??? Just move around to position something interesting behind it. I found a faded clump of Japanese Forest Grass for a background. Using a shallow depth of field caused the grass to look like a radiating energy force field. I could feel the energy emerge as I recorded the image.
“Don’t Pass Me By”
Brilliant beauty is everywhere. This single red maple leaf, edges covered with hoarfrost, made me stop in my tracks. It was just hanging there waiting for me to discover. Just a few ice crystals held it captured on the branch. After taking several photos, I turned around to look for other treasures. I glanced back, the red was not there. The leaf had fallen to the ground.
Lesson Learned: Never pass up a gift!
Hoarfrost
The leaves have fallen. A few stragglers remain. Hoarfrost on the remaining vegetation is a mild reminder that winter is on its way. Walking around our yard in the midst of beautiful branches and leaves covered with ice crystals was like walking through a wonderland. It was a gift from above.
“Falling Leaves”
Miracles happen. I saw leaves gently falling. Quickly. I brought my camera to my eye and froze these two leaves on my first shot. Sometimes I just get lucky.
A gentle breeze rustles by
The leaves, soon they fall,
Covering the ground below.
Happy Halloween!
Yakima Arboretum, Yakima, WA
Full fall color is all around us. For the next several posts, I will share some of the autumn wonder that has caught my eye.
Summer beauty has past.
Fall gradually flows to winter.
The memory remains.
Impressionistic Adaptation of Pink Orchid
I have been to Longwood Garden’s orchid display dozens of times. On a recent visit I wandered through looking for a different way to capture the beauty of the display. I thought a double exposure of some orchids rotated about 45 degrees might be interesting. I added a little Topaz Impression to achieve the final result. It is a bright image to start a bright new September. Have a good one!
I enjoy experimenting from time to time. It inspires me to look a little deeper.
Spent Flower on Desert Walk
The beauty in the desert is everywhere. As I walk along, I see volcanic rock outcroppings, struggling junipers, cragged old trees, blue-grey sagebrush, patches of colorful wildflowers, beautiful blue sky with billowing white clouds. I look down at my feet, magic appears.
Philodendron Leaf, Hawaiian Botanical Gardens
I enjoy photographing botanical subjects. When reviewing my work, many times I quickly pass over an image that at first does not catch my eye as a “select”. I was going through some images that I photographed a year ago in Hawaii. This image just grabbed me. Instead of a leaf, I saw bright lines radiating out, I saw shadows and voids. I saw a triangular shape inserting itself into a void. The green color did not add anything to the image, I thought black and white. The image emerged.