Autumn Riff

The classic canopy shot, looking up, of autumn trees is nearly a right of passage to create for a photographer. I consider all versions a riff on a classic visual melody, like the re-recording of standards. That being said, once I decided to create my own riff, it took a couple of years of shooting lesser compositions before I happened upon this aspen grove. It merged all of the elements needed for success into a single scene. It is surprising how little symmetry there usually is. It was an epiphany when I found it here! And of course, the backlight… creating the effervescent golden glow of the leaves… was the final, perfect touch.