After posting yesterday of autumn I went in search this morning for clearer signs of its approach. After traipsing thought the woods for an hour I had yet to discover any signs until I spotted this single twig of leaves taking point for autumn colors. All the other leaves, even on the same tree, were as green as spring–very strange, but very beautiful.
As a side note, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens has become a favorite of mine when used with the full frame Nikon D700. It affords a nice focal range, is crystal sharp at all focal lengths over the entire frame and has a wonderful bokeh effect–an excellent lens in my opinion.
Taking Point – to assume the first and most exposed position.
Wonderful color contrast, and yes, the bokeh is interesting, really concurring with the red leaves as main subject. But can it be that it’s a bit harsh? I observed similar effects through sharpening the whole image and therefore later on tried to sharpen only a small region with the main subject in order to avoid modifying the soft borders of the circles of confusion.
@Markus: Interesting about the harshness you noted. In this particular circumstance I used a mask and only sharpened the red leaves for the same reasons you mentioned–none of the background was sharpened. However, looking at the post-processing log it shows some clarity was added. When I remove this step it softens the edges of the circles of confusion without detracting from the main subject. I like that better but will leave this current version posted so people will know what we’re talking about. :-)
Thanks for the critical eye and feed-back, it’s greatly appreciated!
Yep, you are definitely behind in this aspect. Here in South Sweden, I would say that 20% of all trees have all their leaves in this condition. In a month or so, most leaves will be on the ground.
Couldn’t agree more on that lens – one of Nikon’s best!
It’s striking to see that “bundle” of red leaves in one place signaling Autumn. I’m glad you continued to search. The black lines are effective in grounding the image.
Lovely shot, Earl. I’ve not seen any signs of fall here or in between on my drive between Charlotte and Charleston. I have seen a couple of things in my backyard, but they are few and far between.
nice color contrast, very well seen
@yz – Thanks!
Thanks everyone!