I have a four-trunk River Birch tree in my backyard that buries my yard in yellow leaves every autumn. I can see the tree from the window over my kitchen sink.
As I was washing my breakfast dishes one morning, I noticed that some of its yellow leaves were collecting in the area where the four trunks joined at the base. The leaves were like a motionless waterfall spilling out between two of the trunks. Two young branches are sprouting up through the golden cascade and I thought the scene had potential as a photograph.
A few days later, the light was just right on the scene, and grabbed my camera for a bit of practice. The resulting image is below.
On the way back into the house, I took note of the way the River Birch’s leaves were collecting on the steps leading to my back deck and decided that would make a nice image as well.
The similarity between the aging leaves and the deck planks in dire need of cleaning is what drew me to the composition. Spots all around!
I’m working on forcing myself to be more spontaneous with my photography. Also, I’ve been in a habit of planning images in advance rather than responding to conditions. I’m also working to find images in common places, like my back yard. Stay tuned for more!
