“Autumn Aspen Leaves” — Aspen leaves turn orange and brown in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
There are little personal spots all over the Sierra Nevada that I return to each year — a bend in a road, a tree, a favorite rock, a viewpoint. These trees are on that list. I suspect that most passers-by might not really notice them. They are along a route to a different popular place, and there’s a good chance that most people are thinking more about that destination. And when people leave that other spot, their attention may well be focused on the road more than on a couple of trees. But I notice, and I stop almost every time.
“Spring Leaves” — Spring leaves, photographed at a botanical garden, Bath, England.
I am not the plant or macro photographer in the family. That would be Patricia Emerson Mitchell, my wife, whose camera is most often fitted with a macro lens. But I tag along, and I enjoy the challenge and the change that comes with photographing small things. While we were in Bath, England last June we visited a botanical garden, and I made this photograph while wandering among the plants.
This was my final aspen photograph of the day. These trees grow in what feels like high desert terrain along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. This is essentially “sage brush country,” though as the elevation rises there are increasing numbers of conifers. Being east of the crest of the range, the area falls into evening shadows well before actual sunset.
“Fallen Leaves” — Fallen autumn aspen leaves, Eastern Sierra Nevada.
I have spent less time in the Sierra this season than usual — perhaps due to some other travel earlier in the year. I finally got up there near the end of August for a few days of photography and mind-clearing. But over the past two weeks I’ve managed two trips over the crest to photograph the fall color transition and related subjects. This photograph comes from these recent visits.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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