Flora-2
Autumn 1
Liquid Amber
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Liquid Amber trees can supply a lot of autumn color to western landscapes. When the color on these trees turn, they can be seen from miles away.
However, in most years, Southern California is besieged by 70 MPH Santa Ana winds which can remove just about every leaf from a Liquid Amber tree in a few hours. During those few years when the winds are late and the trees turn color early, small breezes can keep the leaves moving, especially when you're shooting with a telephoto lens.
On a good year, the colors are exhilarating. The motion and patterns created by the leaves are almost hypnotic. Just capturing a hint of this feeling is considered a successful shoot.
The image at left was captured in full sunlight with a 500 F4 lens with internal polarizer.