Japanese Maple

This spectacular Japanese Maple is hiding in plain sight. In someone’s front yard. Just another tree. Because most of the year it’s just a... more

by Lynn Welles

Title

Japanese Maple

Artist

Lynn Welles

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

This spectacular Japanese Maple is hiding in plain sight. In someone’s front yard. Just another tree. Because most of the year it’s just a simple, multi-trunked tree with pretty leaves that are green.

Sometimes you get lucky and happen upon Mother Nature at her finest hour! The absolutely perfect moment when flora or fauna meet up with you, camera in hand, ready to immortalize that moment. And this was one of those serendipitous times when it all came together.

I was headed to a home photo shoot - one of many that I have scheduled each day. Little did I know what awaited me on this beautiful blue sky day.

As I was scanning the addresses, looking for my appointment, I saw it - this - the most amazing Japanese Maple I’d ever seen in person. It was huge, in full leaf, and the most perfect red you can imagine! My jaw dropped when I discovered it was in the yard of the home I was to photograph!

I completed the appointment thinking about the tree the entire time. I hoped that I hadn’t imagined it (even though it had only been a few minutes ago - we all tend to remember things more magnificently than they were). I kept stealing glances out the windows whenever I got a chance. Yup. Still there. And still looking marvelous.

Once I was done, I spent time just walking around the tree, trying to see how I would capture this beautiful tree without any homes or other (green) trees in the shot. I circled from far away. I circled it from directly underneath, trying to judge the one angle that would work.

Yes, I shoot digitally, but it’s awfully annoying to return home with 100 shots to go through - I make it a habit to not take a picture if I know, in my heart, at that time, that it’s not what I’m looking for. If you’ve ever overshot a scene, you know what I’m talking about.

With more appointments to get to that day, I finally took a few angles. I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to see what I could do!

It was as fun to process as it was to shoot.

Uploaded

March 27th, 2024