One Photograph: When Even a Bad Shot Can Be Satisfying

I have been a lover of fall my entire life. Growing up in Upstate New York, those crisp, clear, sunny October and early November days were glorious. Lawn mowing gave way to raking leaves and the frosty mornings and shorter days turned the trees into an infinite palette of yellows, oranges and reds. We had to seize every one of those days because we knew the long, cold, dark winter was right ahead.

Fall on the west coast is a bit more subtle. It comes on slower and lasts longer. And while the lawns turn brown back east, the rainy season here in Northern California turns the grasses deep green which contrast oddly with the changing leaves.

Almost ten years ago today, I was out on a photo walk along a trail that bordered some Sonoma County vineyards. I was carrying my Nikon FM2n and a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens. My camera was loaded with Kodak Portra 160. The trail was separated from the vineyards by a fence. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was shining through the grape leaves. My composition was not good. I could’ve gotten closer to the leaves or kneeled to get a better angle. But I was late for the trail head and I just snapped and moved on.

Despite the technical snafus, I do like the way the sun illuminated the leaves contrasted by the green on the ground from the November rains we had that year. Even a badly composed photograph can be personally satisfying.

A bit later, I found a bigger hole in the fence to shoot through.

A “behind the scenes” shot of the author/photographer.