Trees and Forests

257 images

Kevin's affinity for capturing the many elements of trees and forests is pictured in this gallery, from macro shots of beautiful leaf formations to majestic woodland vistas.

Alley Spring
Aspen Alley
Aspen and Spruce
Aspen and Sumac
$Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado The "quaking" aspen term comes from the way the aspen leaves shimmer in the slightest breeze. The resulting fluttering refraction of light against a bright blue sky, particularly in the fall is very dramatic, and brings tourists to Colorado & Utah by the thousands, especially in the fall. The quaking action is actually due to the shape of the stem, which is flat and when a breeze hits the broad leaf, it results in a pivoting at the attachment point and gives the tree is characteristic motion. A tree full of leaves undergoing this motion has a characteristic whispering sound. Taken with the sight of quivering leaves and an earthy smell to a thick stand of aspens, it makes for a profoundly memorable experience in the American West. This picture was taken after a wind storm in late fall caused a massive leaf fall in this part of the Rio Grande National Forest, near Creede, Colorado. The leaves had literally just fallen with the last 2 hours onto this beaver pond. I was able to photograph them before they deteriorated visibly. I kept hearing a loud crashing sound in the understory about 50 yards to my right, but continued intently shooting. I suddenly heard a voice from the four wheel drive road about 30 yards behind me. "Hey! Did you know there is a bull Moose just below you?", said a kind passerby. I immediately raced to pack up my gear and high tail it back to my car. Meeting a bull Moose in the wild during the fall rut is a very dangerous experience. The bulls are not happy to say the least.$

Aspen Drops
$Uncompahgre National Forest, Colorado The "quaking" aspen term comes from the way the aspen leaves shimmer in the slightest breeze. The resulting fluttering refraction of light against a bright blue sky, particularly in the fall is very dramatic, and brings tourists to Colorado & Utah by the thousands, especially in the fall. The quaking action is actually due to the shape of the stem, which is flat and when a breeze hits the broad leaf, it results in a pivoting at the attachment point and gives the tree is characteristic motion. A tree full of leaves undergoing this motion has a characteristic whispering sound. Taken with the sight of quivering leaves and an earthy smell to a thick stand of aspens, it makes for a profoundly memorable experience in the American West. This picture was taken after a wind storm in late fall caused a massive leaf fall in this part of the Rio Grande National Forest, near Creede, Colorado. The leaves had literally just fallen with the last 2 hours onto this beaver pond. I was able to photograph them before they deteriorated visibly. I kept hearing a loud crashing sound in the understory about 50 yards to my right, but continued intently shooting. I suddenly heard a voice from the four wheel drive road about 30 yards behind me. "Hey! Did you know there is a bull Moose just below you?", said a kind passerby. I immediately raced to pack up my gear and high tail it back to my car. Meeting a bull Moose in the wild during the fall rut is a very dangerous experience. The bulls are not happy to say the least.$

Aspen Drops BW
Aspen Frost Symphony
Aspen Grove
Aspen Leaves and Frost
Aspen Lumens
Aspen Rock cc1.tif
Aspen Sky Viewc.tif
Aspen Sun and Shadows
Aspen Window
Autumn Leaves and Pon..tion
Bald Hills Lupine
Bamboo Pillars
Barrett Angles BW
Barrett Pool
Beach Limbs
Behind North Falls
Behind North Falls BW
Bethany Falls Trail
Bhutan Cherry Blossoms
Bhutan Rapids
Birch Bark
Blue River Glade
Blue Spruce and Aspens
Bond Falls
Boulder Mountain Aspe..Trio
Brad's Road
Bradfords Wornall
Bridal Veil Falls
Brush Ash Fall
Buckeye Fall Reds
Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
Burning Burr Oak
Burr Oak Rain
Burr Oak Sunset
Burr Oak, Crops and G..sses
Cardinal
Cardinal Berries
Cardinal Cedar Bough
Castor River Shut-In
Christine Falls
Clapboard Hill Oaks
Clapboard Hill Storm
Clapboard Hill Thunde..head
Clearing Summer Storm
Cliffty Creek
Colorado Grasses
Cottonwood
Cottonwood and Sumac ..aves
Cottonwood Curves
Cottonwood Fire Line
Cottonwood Skeletons
Coyote Falls
Crystal Vanishing Point
Dawn Tree
Discovery Pear Tree
Dogwood Above North Fork
Dogwood at Blue Spring
Dogwood in Morning Mist
Dogwood on Redbud
Douglas Firs and Fog
Downtown Maple
Dune Fog
East Prairie First Frost
East Prairie Treeline..Dawn
East Zion Maple
East Zion Textures
Elephant Lichens
Emerald Pool Falls
Escalante Architecture
Escalante Cottonwood Sun
Fall Aspen Forest
Fall Christ Scientist
Fall Ecosystem
Fall Maple Dance
Fallen Aspen Leaf
Fire Blues
Fire Glow Ridge
Fire Line
Fleming Park Maples
Flinthills Forest Sunset
$Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas Some of the most beautiful days I have spent outdoors are on prairies the day after an ice storm. Usually the sun comes out and shines on rolling fields of crystals reflecting the sun's rays. Ice storms occur when a warm air mass migrates in between two layers of cold air. The liquid precipitation condenses, and falls as rain or sleet, and then falls into the cold air mass at ground level. The objects on the ground are supercooled and when the rain falls on those objects, the precipitation instantly freezes. Despite their beauty, ice storms can be insidiously dangerous. Aside from hazardous travel, the ice laden trees become so heavy that limbs can fracture and fall without warning. The falling limbs can take out power lines that subsequently land on homes, start fires, or the limbs can catch an onlooker by surprise and cause serious injury or death. One tree that is particularly strong and can carry massive weight on its limbs is the Burr Oak tree, one of the icons of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.$

Flinthills Icy Sunrise
Flinthills Pond
Floating Shadows
Flowers from Night
Four Aspen Pillars
Frost to Warmth
Garden Stream
Ginkgo Lace
Giralda Sycamore
Glade Top Fall Color
Glade Top Trail Sunrise
Greer Spring
Ha Ha Tonka Snowscape
Ha Ha Tonka Spring
Hanakapi ai Forest Falls