I’m inspired by Mario’s and Igor’s stunning images of forested areas. Here’s my meager contribution. This is from Zion National Park in early November, 2005. I was on a photography workshop led by Art Wolfe and spent several days after the workshop exploring the park. This image caught my imagination with the different fall colors spread throughout. I have always thought this would make a great puzzle.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any comments appreciated. As noted, this is not nearly the quality of Mario’s and Igor’s contributions, but I do want to say that they have inspired me.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 1Ds II, 200mm, f/2.8 (I think), 1 sec @ f/16, ISO 100, Tripod, Polarizer.
Thank you for the kind words. And you have inspired me to go to Zion. I had intended to go to Zion this year in early November but after looking at this I feel that maybe late November would be better for the colors I was after. I think you stretched the white point nicely in this image to bring life to what likely was fairly flat light. The colors are vibrant yet very believable. I think the composition could be stronger though because it looks a bit structureless with the brightest shapes being cut by the bottom frame and the oranges in the ulc. I think you’re on the right track in terms of seeing possibilities. Seeing meaning where many would not.
David, you’ve got a fine mix of greens and yellows in the trees (looks like very early fall), the touches of red and orange at the top do say fall colors. This would make a fine “leaves and trunks” abstract if you cropped the colored parts at the top.
David, my wife is a very serious jigsaw puzzler, and she said this would present quite a challenge even for her. While not even close to peak color, this image has a wonderful mosaic of yellow/green. The composition is nicely balanced and the mix of colors and textures keeps my eye wandering around the image.
I have done Zion in autumn three times, and would recommend not going in late November, I’ve found 11/4 to 11/12 to be a more reliable window of time for good color. IMO a lot of the interesting intimate autumn scenes are found in the washes on the east side of the park beyond the tunnel. That area is at much higher elevation than the bottom of the main canyon, and the foliage turns earlier. The cottonwoods and maples in the main canyon do turn later, but late November may be stretching that too much. Second week November is often a good compromise that gets you some of both higher and lower.
As with all foliage timing, it varies from year to year, but I think week 2 November is a good play on the odds.
