Autumn Ablaze

This Japanese maple is the most vibrant I have ever beheld. The fiery leaves are the embodiment of Autumn, my favorite of seasons.

It cracks me up to see 30 people crowded around that one famous Japanese maple in the Portland Japanese Garden, regardless of whether or not it's actually having a beautiful season. It's an ugly brown right now, and that was still the case when I visited the garden over the weekend: hordes of people swarming that tree the entire time I was there. Meanwhile, there were other trees in the garden that were incredibly vibrant and having an excellent Fall season, yet being ignored by virtually everyone because these other trees are not that one famous tree.

Funny how that works. But I'm grateful for it, because it afforded me the opportunity to take my time shooting this tree from every angle, uninterrupted by other photographers. And yes, this tree is this bright right now -- no Photoshop enhancement necessary.