All The Colors. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
A large grove of multi-colored autumn aspen trees in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
When aspen trees transition from their summer green to their brief autumn show they can produce a diverse range of colorful foliage. Most of the trees turn yellow/gold, but the other colors can range between orange and several shades of red. I know some photographers look for the uniform golden colors — and they can certainly be spectacular — but I’m drawn to scenes that include the full spectrum. This is one of those scenes. In fact, here the orange trees predominate, along with green shades on trees that are yet to change. But look closer and you’ll find plenty of gold… and a few bits of red foliage, too.
Soft, shaded light with a bit of directionality is my favorite for photographing this subject. I made this photograph late in the day, just after the sun had dropped behind mountains to the west, but while the sky (and a few white clouds) still provided that slightly directional light. In these conditions the colors may not be quite as saturated, but the soft light fills that shadows and renders more of the details visible.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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