“Aspen Row” — A row of colorful autumn aspen trees in an Eastern Sierra canyon.
Timing is everything when it comes to photographing fall aspen color in the Sierra Nevada. (Well, OK, some location knowledge helps, too…) The most basic element is determining when the color peaks. That can be complicated, as it varies depending on elevation, the type of terrain, and the weather. And, to be honest, there’s almost always a bit of luck involved. When I search for color I rely on a lot of hunches based on past experience and observations of current conditions.
Following our Cotswolds walk we stayed in Bath for four days. Bath was quite a contrast to the previous week walking through the hilly rural and agricultural countryside. Bath is, and long has been, a place that many visit — for the actual baths, for the architecture, and for the city’s history. With four days there we had plenty of time to look around, and we spent a good long time wandering the Abbey.
I “discovered” these formations years ago while searching for autumn aspen color in mountains east of the Sierra Nevada. I was at a location where I have frequently photographed dense groves of small trees. As I photographed them in soft morning light — they are on the shaded side of a ridge — I noticed this fascinating terrain dropping towards Mono Basin.
“Aspens, Late Afternoon” — Autumn light slants across colorful groves of aspen trees, Eastern Sierra.
This photograph comes from a rather accessible location in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, a place where aspens appear on what is essentially high desert terrain rising toward the crest of the range. There are large groves of aspens here, but the trick is the lighting — the best light, backlight coming over the Sierra, arrives late in the day and only lasts a short time. Consequently timing is everything — arriving when the colors are at their best and being there and ready to photograph when that light hits.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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