Dogwood & Cedar

This is one of my earlier large format film images, and I believe it is truly a classic composition. As I searched along the American River on this fall morning, the colors were quite impressive. However, it can be quite difficult to put together a pleasing composition amongst the chaos. As I wandered the river bank this one Dogwood tree stood out to me. As I narrowed my field of view and eliminated a majority of the color in the surrounding area, the strength of minimization went to work. The contrast of primary colors against the darker cedar forest is powerful. The brilliant reflection on the river in the foreground anchored the scene. For me, this image truly represents the peaceful beauty one can find in the Sierra foothills.