Aspen kaleidoscope, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Claudia and I made our annual pilgrimage to Colorado to see the aspens, with a short detour into some Utah canyons. We’ve actually been traveling for three weeks, and just got home. During our trip we got up before sunrise almost every morning, and stayed out until after sunset nearly every evening. I kept thinking that I should post some photos, but there always seemed to be some interesting weather, and photos to be made, and barely enough time to eat, sleep, and then get up at 5:30 and do it all over again.
Anyway, we had a great time. The autumn color was fantastic, and eventually we got some interesting weather to with it: rain, fog, and even a little snow. In fact we would have left Colorado earlier, but snow in the forecast enticed us to stay longer… and then a little longer still.
I’ll post some of those fog and snow photos later, and maybe a few images from Utah as well, but I’ll start with some intimate scenes of autumn color and patterns.
— Michael Frye
P.S. I’ve said this before, but color is never enough, by itself, to make a good photograph. You need to find a design to go with that color and hold everything together. That could mean finding a focal point, a pattern, or both. As you look through these images (or any photographs of colorful subjects) see if you can identify the design that gives structure to the color.
Autumn glow, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Aspen-covered hillside with mountain hemlocks, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Cattails and aspen reflections, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Red and yellow aspens, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Aspens and Gambel oaks, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Late autumn hues, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Aspen hillside, Uncompahgre NF, CO, USA
Related Posts: Chasing the Weather and Color in Colorado; Colorado Autumn
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.
Beautiful photos and thank you for sharing. If you are ever this way around Vail, Colorado please connect.
Thanks Raj!
Very nice Michael. Thanks for sharing. I may have to try a Colorado fall color trip next year. Do you tend to shoot most of your landscapes with primes or what percentage split would you say you use between primes and zooms? Thanks.
Looking forward to your upcoming Yosemite fall colors. 🙂
Thanks John! I use a 16-35, 70-200, and 50.
Thanks. I might have thought you used more primes. Makes me feel better for using short zooms myself. 🙂
Good-quality zooms can be as good as primes. Depends on the particular lenses you’re talking about. Just because it’s a prime lens doesn’t mean it’s great. And individual copies of lenses vary greatly.
Wow, gorgeous images, Michael, so many beautiful colors and patterns! Many thanks, I’m looking forward to your fog and snow images. All best.
Thank you Bob!
Beautiful. Great compositions. We live in Montrose, so you were right in our neck of the woods. I would have enjoyed meeting you as I’ve followed your blog for awhile and have learned a lot from you. Thanks for all the tips and gorgeous photography!
Thanks Bob! You live in a nice area.
Very beautiful Michael, thanks for sharing. Your pictures are gorgeous as always.
Thank you Gigi!
Nice set, my eye was drawn to:
Cattails and aspen reflections, like the reflected trunks and overall design.
Hate to say, but I find Autumn glow a little off balance, guess I’d prefer a more central comp. Expect your decision was deliberate though.
Regards
Marshall
Thanks Marshall. Balance is pretty subjective. In that image there are two focal points: the sun, and the area where the trunks converge near the top of the frame. The sun is slightly left of center, the area where the trunks converge is slightly right of center, so to me it seems to balance left-to-right. And the sun is about the same distance from the bottom of the frame as that convergence area is from the top of the frame, so the top-to-bottom balance seems about right to me too.
Just gorgeous work on the subject of Fall color. Your thoughts on what makes it a strong image is a good reminder for when out shooting. Thank you, Barbara
Thanks Barbara!