Ellipsis: Dark Leaf Collection

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Dark Leaf Collection

"Leaves grow old gracefully, bring such joy in their last lingering days. How vibrant and bright is their final flurry of life."

~Karen Gibbs

So, I've decided to try working with different textures as backgrounds, for my Leaf Of The Day photos. Ordinarily I like to photograph them, exactly where they land, but, if necessary, I will sometimes position them in a different area. Working to find the most eye pleasing natural backgrounds, inspired me to try some fabric backgrounds to give them a more interesting appearance. I started out with a plain black background, because the leaves I picked last Sunday were so dark, and moody. Some leaves end the season with a big blast of color, others die quiet and solemn.

The leaves have seemed much darker this year, than in previous autumns. From the start in September, I noticed that almost everywhere I went, they had a distinctly darker color to them, and some were almost completely black. It has been a nice surprise for me, because of the depression I have been fighting. The leaf colors have made me feel more comfortable, like they shared my mood, and understood! It has been nice. It has given me new ideas, like trying fabric backgrounds. Autumn ends, but my project continues until I find my last leaf. Sometimes I can still find some wonderful leaves, well into January, so I have a lot to work with, to help me process the way I think of things in my life, and it also helps me by inspiring with new approaches for my project next year.

2017 Dark Leaf Collection