Silver Falls State Park, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains east of Salem, is famous for its 10 waterfalls that can be viewed along a six-mile trail. But equally beautiful, I think, is its setting in a dense temperate rainforest of firs and a variety of maple trees, including bigleaf maples. Any time of year is great for a visit, but October, as the maple leaves turn, is my favorite time to visit.
I captured this scene along one of the many trails in the park on a sunny October afternoon. I was struck by the beauty of the backlit maple leaves against the dark forest background. My intent was to create some order out of the chaos by juxtaposing the gently curving, moss-covered maple trees and backlit maple leaves against the trunks of the Douglas firs.
