Aspen-covered hillside, Bishop Creek Canyon
During our recent trip to the eastern Sierra I hiked up a trail I’d never been on before. I hoped the trail might lead to view overlooking a hillside full of aspens. It didn’t – at least not directly. I had to leave the trail and work my way out on some rock outcrops, where I did finally reach a spot with a view of that aspen-covered hillside, and made the photograph above.
I was pretty happy with that image; I liked the curving line of bare trunks, and the way the clumps of pines in the lower-right and upper-left corners played off each other. But my eyes kept getting pulled to some aspens next to the rock outcrop. The leaves on these trees displayed a wonderful kaleidoscope of hues – yellow, orange, red, green, even a bit of maroon. I realized that these aspens right in front of me had at least as much photographic potential as the ones on the distant hillside.
I moved around and tried a number of different compositions, honing in on the areas with the greatest variety of color, and looking for patterns that would give that color some structure and design. You’ll find two of those images below. I tried to give these photographs a bit an abstract-expressionist quality, with color splashed all over the frame – and some pointillism thrown in too:
Aspens and pines, Bishop Creek Canyon
Multi-colored aspens, Bishop Creek Canyon
Over the years I’ve learned to pay attention to what my eyes are drawn too. I may head to a spot with a certain image in mind, but if my attention gets pulled to something else there’s probably a good reason for it. Often our preconceived ideas don’t work as well as we’d hoped, but there are always other possibilities if we stay flexible and keep our eyes open.
— Michael Frye
Related Posts: Early Autumn Color; North Lake Sunset
Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He is the author or principal photographer of The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite, Yosemite Meditations, Yosemite Meditations for Women, Yosemite Meditations for Adventurers, and Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters. He has also written three eBooks: Light & Land: Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom, Exposure for Outdoor Photography, and Landscapes in Lightroom: The Essential Step-by-Step Guide. Michael has written numerous magazine articles on the art and technique of photography, and his images have been published in over thirty countries around the world. Michael has lived either in or near Yosemite National Park since 1983, currently residing just outside the park in Mariposa, California.
Michael,
Great shots and patterns as always! Isn’t it amazing how the different clusters of aspens go through the autumn with some clusters dropping all their leaves while others are at peak color and yet others are still in an almost green stage? I guess it has to do with the shared root systems within a cluster – maybe??
I noticed the lack of shadows – was this an overcast day? Whatever, you certainly captured a nice mood in these shots like the beauty of color prior to the oncoming winter.
Thanks Jim! It wasn’t an overcast day, but the aspens were in the shade. As you alluded to, groups of aspens share a common root system, so they’re essentially all clones, which is why you’ll find one group turning, while a neighboring group is still green, and another nearby group is already bare. Some clone groups turn earlier than others. Also, different groups turn different colors – some are yellow, some are orange, and few turn red-orange. The color of a group varies a little from year to year, but usually you see the same groups of trees turning orange or red each year.
Gorgeous images. I often find that in my own landscape photography I too often look for the big panorama rather than focusing on specific areas like you did in the lower two. I love the red on the leaves mixed with the greens and yellows. The two pines in the middle image really give great contrast. I know the autumn colors in New England are quite beautiful, but this California boy believes you can’t beat the fall color in the Sierra Nevada. Many thanks, Michael.
Thanks Bob! California does have some great fall color, but you really should get to New England in fall sometime. Colorado too.
Hi Michael, I love the color variations in those aspens. My favorite is the one with the pines. I think the dark green of the pines really helps to show off the changing color in the aspens.
I like that one too – thanks Vivienne!
Nice patterns. It’s hard sometimes, my eyes see these sort of images out there each year and lots of times the images I take home just don’t do the moment justice. I do of course spend hours shooting them looking for random patterns each year. I usually find a splendid branch or two and put it in my car as I’m driving around, just because it puts a big smile on my face to hear them dancing in the breeze. It’s just so mesmerizing when your there in front off such a perfect natural chaos of pristine multi colored leaves. OK, I talk to them. The depth of them is just so dramatic in real life. I could just stare and listen to them forever. I agree with viv.. the isolation of the pines and the wave pattern of the stripped trees in contrast to the yellow aspen wave below that seems to surround the pines in the top image strikes me. Well, that was a nice new trail to hike.