Autumn Colors in Flux
This tree was in the midst of changing colors for the annual fall season.
This tree was in the midst of changing colors for the annual fall season.
Read less
Read less
NIKON D7200
Aperture f/1.8 ISO 560 Shutter 1/1000 Focal Length 850/10 
Tahlequah, Oklahoma, US
Jan, 2019Views
396
Likes
Awards
Chatter Award
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Winner in #AutumnIsNear2020 Photo Challenge
Top Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Absolute Masterpiece
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was captured in the winter at Sequoyah City Park, which is the oldest public park, in the historic Native American town of Tahlequah, OK. There is a small babbling creek that runs through the park that is fed from an underground spring about a mile upstream.Time
This was taken during a break from work to take a little photography excursion because the colors were amazing and the sun was in the middle of it's sought after "golden hour" at 5:00 - 5:30 PM on Jan. 19th 2019 which is the day it was taken.Lighting
This image is a great example of why movie directors and photographers alike insist on waiting for that special time of day before sunset that we call "the golden hour". The sun has a beautiful golden hue during that fleeting window which creates vibrant colors while creating long deep shadows that are juxtaposed against vivid saturated colors. That colorful contrast creates an image that is striking, unique, and nearly impossible to accurately re-create even when using professional editing tools in post.Equipment
This was taken handheld using my Nikon D7200 paired with a Nikkor 85MM f/1.8D Prime lense wide open with no flash. Here are the manual settings the camera had at the time this was taken: Aperture f/1.8; ISO 560; Shutter Speed 1/1000; WB: SunlightInspiration
The beautiful graduated colors from greens to yellows, fading into oranges, then finally deep reds at the leaf's tips were too amazing to pass up. The great colors of this leaf were contrasted nearly perfectly against the dark shadows that the setting sun produced in this colorful leaf's background.Editing
Not a lot of post processing required on this photo but, that said I did crop it to help bring out the colorful details in the leaf as well as a small .5-1 increase the contrast, vibrance, and saturation so it would "come off the page" and draw the eye in just a little more.In my camera bag
I typically have both of my Nikon bodies, the D7200 and D500 along with these lenses: (1) Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR (2) Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 (3) 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VR (4) Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 (5) Nikon 85mm f/1.8D (6) Nikon 50mm f/1.8D (7) Nikkor 105mm Macro f/2.8D, three SB-800 speedlights w/mini tripods for off camera use, and my collapsible 18% grey card to manually set my white balance.Feedback
I always tell photographers that they should always have (at least) their oldest camera body and a decent zoom telephoto lens with them because you never know when the light is going to be perfect and the subject is going to be setup to capture a beautiful image. Pay attention to the entire frame and be mindful of the subject but even more aware of your image's background because that will make all the difference. Finally, add "Luck favors the prepared" to your list of 'required' photography quotes as well as learning that the old rule "fill the frame" really means that if you think you're close enough then you should actually get closer. I tend to get better by being prepared, getting close, and taking as many photos as I need to get the shot that I can be proud of.
