'Brilliant fall aspens close up, speak to the intimacy of life'

n October of 1997, my girlfriend Marj Hoye and I located these trees while slowly driving the road that leads to Tumalo Falls, near Bend, Oregon. Their orange color spoke boldly, in contrast to the other aspens near by. When we reached the trees, I tried composing an image with no success. I knew there was something very special there; however, I was not tuned in enough to see it yet.

So, we decided to walk down the abandoned road and explore some other trees, anticipating the possibility of coming back. I saw some nice trees down the hill and even photographed some aspen leaves lying beneath some of them.

After an hour Marj succumbed to the cold and returned to the truck. But I was just getting warmed up, and had experienced a beautiful shift in my perception. I could clearly feel it was time to return to my original location. In sharp contrast to my first attempt, as I approached the orange trees I instantly saw the composition of ‘Fall Talk.’ In an effortless series of moves, I set up my camera and began photographing.

The sun had changed to a position directly behind the trees, making the leaves glow luminous with light. The conditions were perfect, and this time I was totally tuned in to my environment. I clearly saw the subtle nuances of shape, form, texture and color; and understood why I was unable to see the image an hour earlier. I exposed five sheets of film as a gentle mist fell. Soon, my camera became too wet to continue. Feeling content and somewhat damp, I returned home and bathed in the profound depth of my experience.