Autumn Aspen Reflections: Northern Arizona Photography
“All art is an abstraction to some degree.” – Henry Moore
Cool winds, the distinctive scent of autumn and a thick carpet of fallen leaves make for a truly memorable Fall day in Northern Arizona. Celebrating the dramatic change of seasons in Northern Arizona, I am pleased to share a few interpretive impressions of autumn Aspen reflections on a quiet pond near Hart Prairie Road, Flagstaff, Arizona.
Photo of the Day, NIKON D800E,f/22 @ 35 mm, 0.6s, ISO 64
While I would like to claim great foresight and conceptual thinking in creation of these photos, this series was, in fact, created on the spur of the moment in a fit of frustration … or, more accurately, sheer desperation.
On this Fall day amidst gusty winds, I found myself frantically shooting at very high shutter speeds, trying to "freeze" the movement of tree branches and golden leaves. We thought about packing up and moving down the road, hoping to hike into a valley area having at least some protection from the relentless from wind.
NIKON D800E, f/22 @ 35 mm, 0.6s, ISO 64
Instead, after trying many camera settings at inordinately high ISO levels - none of them optimal in my mind - I settled down and decided to stop "fighting" nature. It occurred to me to shoot a series of abstract photos embracing the sense of movement in the strong autumn winds and the change of seasons. The first two time exposure images were captured through slight camera movements, using a tripod with a loosely adjusted ball head.
NIKON D800E, f/9 @ 20 mm, 1/500, ISO 400
Others photos in this series include fallen leaves afloat on the pond and cross sections of the thickly wooded Aspen forest and leaf covered forest floor.
A special thanks to my son, David Reinkensmeyer, for his great company, sense of adventure and honest critique of my photographic images on another banner day in Northern Arizona. His thoughtful comments about my photography are so valuable, both in the field and back at home in front of the computer.
NIKON D800E, f/2.8 @ 35 mm, 1/250, ISO 1,250
Related postings: Arizona Sunflowers: Photography on a Windy Hillside, Arizona Fall Colors, Autumn Brook - West Clear Creek, Autumn Colors- Hart Prairie Road and West Fork in Sedona Part 2 – Autumn.
Marcus W. Reinkensmeyer
NIKON D800E,f/11 @ 35 mm, 1/50, ISO 1250