finding an interesting composition in a forest is one of the more difficult things for me. this is especially true in an aspen forest - there’s usually a lot of fallen trees, shrubby undergrowth and they’re just generally very busy. i think it’s why so many of the aspen images you see are similar - rows of the eye-levels of aspen trunks in a wide panorama, images with a wide angle lens looking up the trunks of trees. these somewhat cliche images are the ones i’m trying to avoid these days. sure i have some in my portfolio, but i’ve really been concentrating lately on finding interesting images that aren’t the easy images.

and so i spent a couple hours in this location looking for items of interest, compositions that aren’t too busy, but showcase the peaking autumn aspen as the sun finally broke through the clouds this morning. i spent another couple hours earlier in a strand of aspen looking for images that resonated with me. eventually i found a few images i liked in both locations, with this image being one of my favorites.

i call this image relationships as i love the relationship the main subject tree trunk has with the trunk to its right, forming a ‘v.’ i also love the fact that the trunk to the left of the ‘v’ parallels the main subject trunk. the peak colors lit up by the sun obviously play a part in my enjoyment of the image. i hope you enjoy it as well.