Call it intuition or slow knowledge combined with the weather forecast, but I suspected a trip to the mountains for an aspen photo session was necessary this week.  Given the fact that the low temperature here the last two mornings was 16 F, I am glad.  When temperatures are that cold, the leaves sometimes just turn brown, and many of them fall.  My mission was to catch them at the right time, and nature did not disappoint.  As evidenced by some of the reds and oranges below, there was a virtual riot of color at roughly 9,000 feet in the Tusas Mountains and Hopewell Lake area.

Nature- trees - aspen between aspen

But the yellows and golds were pretty darned spectacular.  It was one of those days I could have spent the entire day shooting in the autumn sunshine and smelling the rarified air.

Nature - trres- aspen diamond

As is frequently the case, I am on my back shooting up to do justice to not only the aspen leaves but the magnificent trunks and branches that carry them.

Nature- trees - aspen from the ground up

The morning backlighting of so many of the aspen was magical.  I felt like it was a forest primeval in pure gold.

Nature- trees - aspen forest primeval in gold

There always seems to be something I don't notice until the photographs are downloaded into the computer, which was true of the image below.  The leaf shadows on the trunk reflect the golden character of the day.

Nature - trres- aspen leaf shadows on trunk

Because of the many different elevations in New Mexico, autumn, which is on its way out here,  has barely started in some places.  So I hope you have a chance to savor the season and photograph everything from aspen to cottonwoods to maples and willows around the state and beyond.  Thanks to Barbara F. R., Christina, Jean and Sam, Paule, Steve, Catherine, Lisa, Susie, Connie, Wayne, and Dianne for your comments last week.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@