Warren, Connecticut. I’ve been working on origami boxes and decided to dive into my stash of handmade papers I’ve been collecting for years. This paper feels like a wool-cotton blend although I have no clue what the fibers are made of. It stretches the idea of what paper is. I like that.

Warren, Connecticut. The shagbark hickory tree this leaf came from is growing in the woods down by the bank of the stream that cuts through our property. It is completely blocked out by larger trees for most of the season but now that many trees are leafless this tree is showing through. I was taking apple peelings out to the compost pile yesterday and this tree was all lit up like a Christmas tree. Had to go over and pluck a leaf to take back to my "leaf studio."

Warren, Connecticut. Okay, I couldn’t resist the play on words (Annie Oakley). My wife is now getting with the program and bringing me leaves she’d like to see photographed. I initially complained that this oak leaf wasn’t big enough in any one place to shoot without showing the outer edges, but then I thought about how wonderful the natural shape of the leaf is and decided to try shooting it in a way that used that shape as a border. Fall colors have peaked when we start seeing more oak leaves like this on the ground. We can see deep into the woods now where leaves obscured the view during summer.

Warren, Connecticut. It’s raining hard today and I have errands in town. While running to the truck I noticed a birch leaf, bottom side up with water droplets on it on the driveway. On a nice day, I might feel the urge to set up the tripod right over this leaf and attempt a water droplet shot. Today the rain is coming down hard enough so I continued running to the truck and thought I’d probably drive over it. After I came back I was able to find it again and it was untouched. Rather than bring the tripod to it in the rain, I brought it into the house, being careful not to knock its droplets off, got it up to my office and took this shot.

Warren, Connecticut.There are many small volunteer sumac plants around our place and one really can’t see them blended in with the other foliage in the summer but in fall, they turn brilliant red. I’m allergic to poison sumac; nice that these plants are not only beautiful but also “hypoallergenic.”

Warren, Connecticut. This leaf came from a very young volunteer maple tree growing in the woods next to our house. The patches of spots look to be caused by small living things that have attached and are eating, no doubt getting ready for winter.

Warren, Connecticut. This oak leaf seemed to have a skin-eating disease that was dissolving the area between big veins, leaving the small veins like a net. Whatever caused this, it struck me as beautiful and one more part of the complexity of fall change.

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.

Warren, Connecticut. Our ferns have been drying out and turning for a while now but today they seem to be at just the right state of translucency for the backlight of the sun to make them glow.

Note: I rented a Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 L Macro to test out. I’m liking it quite a lot actually although this shot is not a good example of what makes it shine: color and incredible bokeh coupled with great compression from the longer focal length.