Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield: October 2013

One of the things that makes fall foliage so special is that it's so fleeting.  As I've driven up and down South Wadsworth Boulevard the past few days watching the gold in the nearby trees intensify, I knew my window to shoot at the Chatfield Botanic Gardens was closing.  Tonight being the only free evening this week in between normal suburban family commitments, I seized the opportunity.

The sun was already pretty low in the sky when I started, so I couldn't afford to dawdle.  It was kind of neat being "on the clock" -- added a sense of urgency I don't normally feel when I'm just wandering around the outdoors.

I like the gradient in the sky the polarizing filter brings out in this angle.  But I'm surprised the leaves weren't a little crisper.  Focus is always my priority when shooting, since I know I can adjust most other things on the computer.  But a soft image will always be just a soft image.

I got a great tip from Steve Gandy the other night about ISO.  I'd been operating on the assumption that the lower the ISO, the sharper the image.  Turns out the best quality on a digital camera is actually around ISO 200.  The options below that on my Nikon D90 aren't numbered, but I'd been using them anyway.  After just seeing the results from tonight, I'm convinced.

More evidence in support of ISO 200.  The bark of the tree in the center is as detailed as I can ever remember getting in a shot from this distance.

I played around with different perspectives of this bridge for a while, trying to get something perfectly symmetrical.  Looking at all the various options, I returned to the belief that angles are just more interesting.

This patch of Deer Creek was almost perfectly still, which explains why all the fallen leaves were just accumulating.  Neither wind nor water was moving them once they landed, creating a golden tapestry.

I ended up with just about half an hour of light before the sun dipped behind the foothills.  But what I got in those 30 minutes was well worth the trouble.  If the leaves can just hold out a few days longer, I'd love to get back out again over the weekend!