I am fascinated by leaves. They appear almost as if from nowhere. If you aren’t paying clos enough attention, one minute trees are bare and the next second they are full of lush green leaves.

The most fascinating times to see leaves are when they are first beginning to grow and emerge in the spring and when they are changing colors and falling in the Autumn. It is during these two times of year when leaves seem to be at their most fragile. During the time when they emerge and when they fall is also when all the details of the leaves are most visible.

Fall is obviously a time when we associate leaves as being at their peak of expression. If you are a nature lover you have probably gone out to look at the fall leaves as they change colors. What I love about this time of year is that the color changes also seem to bring out more detail or reveal more detail in the leaves.

Leaves: colors and water

The changing shades of color reveal the veins that stream through a leaf. The textures and patterns that the veins within a leaf become more visible. Shifting colors also define the shape of a leaf better. Leaves pop out more from their surroundings. They no longer fade into the background. Leaves are the standout. Leaves are the star of the show in fall.

I also love the interplay between the colors and textures of leaves and water. Water can be bright and reflective, obscuring the detail of a leaf. But in other instances a water droplet can magnify the underlying textures of a leaf. The water itself just adding another layer of texture to an already amazing natural feature.

Water also enhances the colors of a leaf. Adding a little shine or glow. The water can make the contrast between colors more prominent

Next time you are at a park and the leaves are on the ground take a moment to pick up a few and just look at them. Even as the color dulls and fades to brown they continue to reveal more depths of what a leaf is..

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