Fall Through the Lens

One reason I enjoy photography is its ability to encapsulate a picture. Photography forces me to see what I am looking at and to put boundaries on the view. Otherwise the periphery runs on forever, often taking away from the immediate outlook. It is fun to focus on an image through the lens. Japanese maples are a reliable source of color from October through November.Here are some recent shorts taken late in the afternoon when low autumn light ignited the foliage. A lot of color comes from Japanese maples, dogwoods, hickory and oak trees, as well as various shrubs. Evergreens set off the explosion of color. Enjoy!Autumn creates a tapestry of colors in my garden.

The colors across the front garden in November are wonderful.

Sango kaku, also called Coral Bark maple is particularly lovely in fall when the orange-red leaves become flushed with pink and the coral stems become prominent. The colorful stems are also beautiful in the winter landscape. The name "Sango kaku" means coral tower.

I recently moved the concrete bench to a new location in the woodland garden. The shrub next to it is a Carolina allspice.The yellow leaves in these two shots belong to a hickory tree.

Juniper 'Saybrook Gold' frames the view toward the woodlands from our drive.This is a view of dogwoods edging the lower front lawn.A fallen oak leaf on left and Chinese Pistache leaves on the right.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are noted for their fall colors.

A section of a glass wind chime glimmers against fall foliage.

A hosta is lovely even as it goes into dormancy.

This old brown birdhouse awaits its new tenants next spring.

The dried seed heads of a Limelight hydrangea will remain through most of the winter.

This colorful Japanese maple is in front of our dining room window.

The strong limbs of an oak tree rise behind a Japanese maple.

By the time I had wandered around and taken all of the above photos, plus many more I am not showing you, it was late in the day and I was quite chilly! One last image caught my attention. I looked up to see smoke coming from the chimney.

Time to go inside and enjoy the warm fire!

Images of Autumn, 2014

Streams of light wash the trees with molten rays, dripping glitter upon the forest floor. It is late October, and autumn is beginning to show her colors. Not fieriness yet, for we are weeks away from peak colors, but the woods have a warm glow that complements the season's cooler air. The days are a refreshment to my soul, and I want to soak them in, remembering each detail in the garden. I am out with my camera often.

This redbud tree is laden with dried seedpods.

Some fall vignettes looked staged, but I photographed them just as I found them:
I found this spent Magnolia grandiflora seedpod in an empty pot, one perfect red seed resting in the heart of it.

A fallen feather lies next to a few dogwood berries.

This upside-down mushroom has moss clinging to its stem. I wonder what uprooted it and how it came to rest so perfectly on the ground.

I can not overlook flowers that will bloom right up to the precipice of winter:Clockwise from top left: A new flower head opening on Endless Summer Hydrangea; Close-up of Endless Summer; Rainbow Knockout Rose; Purple Aster; Penelope Rose; Penelope rosebud with some of the bush's fall colors visible in the background; Rosa Mutabilis; Flower Carpet Coral Rose.

A couple of black and white images are a salute to next season:
This dried Oakleaf Hydrangea seed head caught my attention. It reminds me of a cluster of butterflies.

An old stump has artistic swirls and crevices.

Will we have another hard winter? I hope not. For now, I cling to day after day of glorious autumn.