I’ll be honest. I hate the light in this shot, and I don’t especially like the dirty gold color of Cottonwoods in autumn. The sky needed some higher clouds. I processed it about ten different ways and finally just settled on this.
But … here we are at Cooper’s Ranch and there, in the middle of the Gunnison River, somebody has built this little teepee thingie.
I have no idea. Probably some damned kids.
Thx, again, to Gunnison’s premier photography tour guide, Frank Venturo.
5280 Lens Mafia 
Gorgeous. Foreground, middle ground, background. You take what the scene gives you. A wonderful shot.
Thanks. I do like some of the compositional elements. I just didn’t realize when I was shooting how much I didn’t like the way the light and shade work. Probably ought to have taken my shoes off and waded out into the water. If I could have gotten it 180 degrees from where I was standing I might have been happier.
Sam – there are so many completely wonderful things in this picture. Forget the light for a minute and look at the geometry. There are triangles throughout the landscape. The branches in the teepee mirror the branch formations in the canopy. The leaves in the water are like rose petals in a bath – sensuous and exuberant. I want to sit in that teepee – looks like the builders thought that also.
Sam, honestly, I think this is the most successful shot that you’ve posted. The leaves in the water give the picture motion and flow. The varied shadow on the rocks paints and saturates them. I just think this is a great shot. And I wouldn’t want more clouds. The only suggestion I would have is that, when the sky is this blue and the leaves that golden, a polarizing filter can darken the sky to add more of that beautiful gold/blue contrast. My eye wandered all over this photo, and that’s a very good thing. As for the dirty gold cottonwoods, I think they look great, and I think the shot wouldn’t be as good without the leaves in the water. Great job, man.
Wow. Okay, thanks. I’m surprised by the reaction, but I trust my expert friends.
Stuart – I need a polarizer for that lens. I have one for my other lens, but not that one.
i just want to add my appreciation for this shot to the others’ comments. everything is working here. and technicalities aside, i just plain enjoy looking at this. well done, Sam. thanks for posting.
I agree — one of the best I’ve seen of your stuff. Simple. Evocative. Beautiful. It has an emotional impact. Nicely done.