After The Rain...

 
                               "After The Rain: Tree Leaves One"  
DIGITAL CAPTURE: Highlands, NC., Oct 14th, 2009 4:54pm; f5 @ 1/100th sec., Nikkor 18-135 - focal length  135mm; ISO 400. (no photoshop - straight from camera to computer)

The world is alive with the fresh waters of Autumn. All week on the Highlands Plateau the rain has surrounded the mountain, a holy cloud of softened light and continual watering of all the reds, yellows, oranges, and purples, naturally sanctifying the fall color saturation. This was good as the color this year was weakened by all the rains in September, along with not having enough clear, bright sunny days and cooler temps as we usually do to enhance the pigmentation process. But this is the world in which we live. Rarely predictable, which is a good thing, or can be, depending on one's perspective. The spontaneity that arrives in our lives of comfortable, day-timer scheduling may be a great blessing, if we allow ourselves to view it as opportunity.


When  the rains come during Autumn, aim your camera downward, where a world of thriving color is found at your feet, leaves washed anew to appear fresh and alive. Yet new the are not, but temporarily born again by the baptism of rain all night. They have left their branches finding rest on the ground, apart from the life-giving sustenance that brought them to this season. And light is the life that will decide how long they remain connected to the branch, and how luminous their colors will shine. Light always comes, even during the days of overcast and water, though often when we are not especially looking for it. The light always comes...


The Autumn Workshop this week was indeed a good one, even while water fell for 2 out of 3 days. The learning and sharing of experiences, technical assistance, design and composition, editing, and the learning of light may take place indoors even without one picture-making moment. But thankfully the middle day came when the light was magnificent, allowing us to witness and digitally capture a great extreme of a clear, beautiful morning. 

*A special thanks to friend & photographer Mike Nalley for coming along this year to help instruct and motivate, and create a few laughs when we needed it. And thanks to all who came along as students: Art, Clyde, George, Janelle, Kitty, Linda, Luther, & Sarah. And a big thank you to Mary Sidney, Gen Mgr @ The Skyline Lodge, our partner this year in lodging and providing a great classroom while rains persisted!

Learning takes a lifetime. I hope to continually learn to learn to learn...