I had the great pleasure of arriving in the Grand Teton National Park at the absolute peak of fall color. Of the many fall color images I made during the trip, this is my favorite. I love the strong horizontal layers. The topmost layer is a product of the smoke from a nearby controlled burn. Be sure to click on the image for a larger version.
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I made this image of a huge, back-lit leaf while shooting at the Denver Botanic Gardens with Jay and Kurt. The arboretum at the Gardens is a great winter refuge for photography:. It’s full of interesting textures, colors, and shapes, and you can shoot in shirtsleeves. Because of the riot of plant life in the arboretum, I tend to focus on “tight” shots; wider shots tend to be too busy and jumbled.
The appeal of this image is the fuzzy texture of the leaf and the gentle, symmetrical curves at the top of the leaf. I was struck by the wonderful texture of the palm trunk, but it was too simple by itself. Finally, I found the palm frond at the base of the tree. IMHO, the contrasting shape and texture of the palm leaf completes the image. That said, I can’t quit decide if the trimmed leaf at right adds or subtracts from the image. It certainly takes the photo out of the realm of perfectly “naturalistic” imagery. But in a sense, the amputated leaf makes the viewer more consciously aware of the curves of the remaining leaves. Let me know what you think in the comments. |
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Copyright © 2012 Andrew Kelley Photography, Ltd. - All Rights Reserved |
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