"October Rain"

I arrived at McGee Creek in a light, misty rain. The rain from the previous night had cleansed the air and the colors were deep and saturated. The aspens were glowing. Even a simple composition achieved a visually compelling scene. Without a doubt, this will receive the usual 3s and 4s when a simple scene of nature is presented to a diverse crowd of photo enthusiasts. Therefore, this is really offered for only those who appreciate such a gift. This is not something you can really own, yet it is free. It is not something you can take home, yet I will treasure it for the remainder of my life. It is not something you can sell, but I will share it often. Even though it can't be owned, can't be taken and can't be sold (metaphorically speaking), I still fear for it. I know that this simple scene will be viewed indifferently by many, which is why I fear for it. If we become indifferent towards these scenes of nature, we will increasingly take nature for granted. Despite the growth of civilization and the reduction of natural resources, there is an abundant amount of wild areas in the world. Even so, what remains is still finite. When we have reached a point where we can't even raise our eyes from our self indulgent texting devices, then we are missing out on the purity of our existence. No, I am not riding a "global warming high horse" per se, just suggesting that our values are dipping into a more superficial realm. When 11 year old children have never been camping, as have my neighbors kids, or we fear spending the night outdoors more than we fear being alone at the mall, then our perceptions have been misguided. True, we shouldn't be afraid to be alone at the mall. We really shouldn't fear a quiet night under the stars either. It has to be one of the safest places I know. Experiencing such a thing is as educational as any semester in college, but not many would see it that way. After typing this out and reading it back, I see myself ranting and my impulse is to delete it. I really don't mind, however, if it is viewed as such and I instead will "wear my heart on my sleeve". No matter, I hope some can receive this gift and understand my intentions. Thanks so much!

182 views and no comments... that's frustrating.

I have seen a few days this year like you are talking about. Although Washington had no Autumn last year - it went from late summer directly into deep freeze and killed everything, Autumn returned this year with one of the best displays of color both in the high country and down low I can remember.

Shooting in the Icicle Canyon above my town yesterday was probably about like you describe - previous rains and light clouds. Unlike you I have a difficult time getting something to look good in the camera even though it's stunning all around.

Thanks for posting this shot of Aspen. I'm amazed at how much towards the orange they are - very rich. The trunks appear to be a tad bit too orange themselves, but it could just be my monitor.

Mark G - I have not visited your images recently which are usually at a very high standard and this one is no exception. To really appreciate it, you have to look at the larger view to see the fine details. I can see the bottom of the big birch is white while the upper portions seem to take on the orange glow of the leaves. If indeed the orange color is a bit too orange then there are solutions to that - selective saturation tool or adjusting the mid range slider.

Based on some of the technical descriptions you have provided on your images I know you are no slouch in editing so any advice to you is probably deficient or a waste. 

Some professionals here at PN talk about the "X" factor that takes a scene or a particular image to the next level. This "X" factor is difficult to define but most people know it when they see it. 

Marc D mentioned that there were 185 views and no comments. I enjoyed the image for a couple of minutes and wondered if I should write and what. I wonder if that was the case for others. So here I have rambled on instead of just saying "Beautiful image" and moving on.

All the best and keep up the good work,

Thanks Marc and Tony! 201 and 2 is better than 185 and none, so that's an improvement. Thanks for the help. Marc, the aspens were resplendent this year along the Eastern Sierra. Some locations in this area are notorious for deep orange, almost red colors in the aspens. I see the orange showing up and this might improve with some local cyan, but as Tony stated, the trunks pick up alot of cast from the filtered light through the leaves. This one was actually a bit of a booger to process because I really wasn't sure I had the right colors. The only thing I can go by is what I remember seeing; Aspen Explosion! I do see some red in the foreground grasses and especially in the greens, so I will probably make some local corrections. Thanks for the good eye. As for the aspens themselves, well I can't pull back anything, they look so much like that they did that day. I wasn't surprised by the absence of comments, but sometimes I wonder. This is my kind of image and I am happy with it none the less!!

Mark...  Well, I'll make it 3.  No, not a rating but the number of comments :-).  You know I like this and am both impressed and inspired by a normal, everyday view presented with such beauty.  They're really like orange cotton candy from the mall, that is, if I weren't afraid to go to the mall.  Those places are murder; I'll take the quiet campsite every time... Thanks for sharing with us... Mike