The Story Behind the Image

The tale behind this shot begins in the early 21st century. By this time I had figured out, on my own, how to use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in combination to produce a relatively acceptable photograph but, I thought, there was more to learn. For this reason, in 2003, a year after my mother’s death, I took a small portion of my inheritance money, and signed up for a photo workship with the Friends of Arizona Highways to Chirichaua National Monument for an autumn shoot to capture the colors of the season.

The unseasonably warm weather that year continued well into October, so the leaves were not cooperating with us. One day I wondered off from the main group, as is common for me to do, and encountered this little red maple tree shouting RED, as sunlight filtered through the canopy, and highlighted the leaves. I managed to fire off a few shots before the sun shifted ever so slightly, and totally enveloped the tree in a cool, colorless shade. Had I passed this tree a few minutes before, or after, I would not have noticed it. Timing, as well as light, is vital to a make a good photograph, and I was fortunate to have both elements simontaneosly merge, as I strolled through the forest.