Aspen Grove in Shade. Eastern Sierra Nevada, California. October 9, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A hillside grove of autumn aspens in early morning shadows
I think there may be at least a couple of things worth discussing about this photograph — both from a slightly technical point of view and from an “opportunity” perspective, as in what photographic opportunities might be available in this part of the Sierra when focusing on the subject of autumn aspen trees. The technical issue (though it really turns out to be an aesthetic issue in the end) is one that I’ve discussed before, namely the kinds of light in which one can photograph aspen and other fall color. This photograph was made in fairly deep shade, and the trees stand on a slope of a tall mountain that blocks the morning sun until several hours after sunrise. I went here largely because of that — and the beautiful trees! — because I wanted to photograph in this soft light. Photographing these trees in shade reduces the huge contrast in light levels between highlights and shadows that we must deal with when the trees are lit directly by the sun. The intensity of the colors can increase and the light fills in the shadows, revealing details that disappear in harsh midday light. (One challenge is handling the blue quality of light that comes from the open sky, but that is perhaps a topic for another post.)
The second observation has to do with the types of aspen trees found in the Sierra. People who have seen the huge groves to straight and tall aspens in places like Colorado and Utah often remark on the many small and twisted aspens in the eastern Sierra. They are right to do so — many of “our” aspens are shorter, the groves frequently (though not always) are limited in their extent, and the tall and straight trees are less common. However, that is part of what I like about the Sierra aspens — the variety of “aspen personalities” is remarkable, ranging from brilliantly colorful but very small scrub aspens to some examples of tall and straight trees with thick trunks. This photograph combines the two. The presence of the smaller foreground trees provides color in front of the revealed trunks of this grove of tall and straight trees.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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