Warren, Connecticut. I found this maple leaf on a baby tree in the woods. Amazingly, the very small tree, only fifteen feet tall seems to be putting out full size leaves. Reminds me of a fourteen year old boy who hasn’t quite grown into his big feet and ears yet. This tree seems awkwardly out of scale with its leaves. I shot this leaf near its stem where it gathers down into a three dimensional bunch.

We have many swamp maple trees around here and from a distance all of their leaves look alike. Up close, however, there are distinct differences between them that makes them fascinating photographically. The spectacular colors and patterns found in a simple (well, not so simple) leaf continue to amaze me.