Silver Falls State Park, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, is famous for its many waterfalls in the heart of a temperate rainforest. But the forest surrounding the waterfalls, primarily comprised of Douglas fir and various species of maples, has its own charms. On this trip, I came across these vine maples at peak fall color stretching out in front of a majestic stand of mature, moss-covered Douglas fir trees. I was struck by the overall symmetry, the color contrast, and the repeating elements of the background trees.
Although my goal that day was to capture waterfalls, I stopped here, set up the tripod, and took my time framing a composition I liked. I used a moderate telephoto and an f/8 aperture to separate the foreground vine maples from the background trees. While this image was captured a number of years ago, it has remained one of my favorite forest scenes. For me, this was a lesson that, when in the field, you should always be open to a compelling subject that presents itself, even if it is not the primary goal for the trip.
