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The Brilliant Colors of Autumn
October 2002
If you haven't pressed an Autumn leaf to preserve its color, you ought to try! It's amazing how long it lasts. We are all used to seeing those colors disappear as leaves fall to the ground and the season moves on, with the reds and oranges, and crimsons and yellows turning to ashen brown. Keeping one or two of them between the pages of a book gives one a sense that time can, in some respects does, stand still!
Here we have a collection of photographs that also preserve those magnificent colors. Our cover is a spectacular detail, just the edge of a leaf overlapping others, with the veins so clearly marked, the colors so vivid. The subtlety of the shadings remind one of a watercolor painting, while the few brown marks give us a hint of what the end will be like. Seen at the height of its glory, these wonderful colors lift our spirit—in the photographic print, they will last forever.
How lucky the photographer was to have the water surface change in the distance, providing a strong horizontal line to tie the elements of the landscape together. And we still have the reflections in the still waters nearby, with a strong cluster of trees on the left shore providing a welcome anchor for the photograph.
Here we see a panorama of fields and trees and hills, with blue mountains in the distance – all framed by close-up views of leaves on the upper left and right, without which the image would be less dramatic. The photograph reminds one of the famous painting by the Flemish artist, Peter Breughel, called “Autumn.” The photograph is a memorable summation of what the richness of the season brings to our eyes.
The arches of the stone bridge become ovals when combined with their reflections. The crescendo of Autumn is passing, as we see bare branches emerging from the foliage. But the sun still lights up one bright orange tree in the center and gives the highlight needed to make it a striking photograph.
Opposite, we are doubly blessed, for we see the rich colors of the autumn leaves twice – once in the trees themselves and a second time reflected in the still waters.
The way the leaves fall on the ground can make a superb composition, as if an artist has placed them in a harmonious relationship. Of course, an artist has been at work—the photographer. For it is just this section of the leaves lying on the grass that has been framed in the viewfinder. Look at the way the colors are carefully chosen—one strong red accent, nearby an orange, then yellows and browns discretely placed, and hints of green here and there—all these against a rich dark background. It is nature's elegant design, but it took a skillful photographer to discover it.
And it was a sharp eye that discovered this bright birch tree, lit by the sun, winding its way upward in front of a burst of colors in the background. One can see glimpses of other trunks and branches here and there, but it is the birch that provides the central focus of the image. It provides the accent that makes the photograph so effective.
Sometimes we have a gift of the brightest red leaves, and they overwhelm all other colors. Here we see them against a dark background that brings out their richness, and we also have a superb composition of the white branches of another tree in the background giving the image a remarkable composition.
— David Finn
<i>David Finn is Founder and Chairman of the Ruder Finn Group, which is proud to sponsor the monthly photography portfolio in this magazine.</i>
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