Aspen Pioneer of the West
Hunter Creek Trail, Aspen, Colorado. Leica S (Typ 007) & Vario-Elmar-S 30-90mm f/5.6 ASPH at f/9.5, 1/60 sec, ISO 800
Traveling West in search of fortune, gold and silver, American pioneers settled all along the Rocky Mountains, where geologic uplift laid bare access to deposits of valuable minerals and ores. The craggy beauty of this rugged terrain also created a rich environment for other pioneers, the somewhat fragile yet eminently resilient aspen. Aspen trees are called “quaking” or “trembling”, not because they live in fear, but rather because they rise from the ashes, like the phoenix, the first to repopulate forests that have been ravaged by fire or avalanche, natural or human disasters. Aspen trees dot the edges of conifer forests from Alaska to New Mexico. They are indeed the most widespread trees in North America. The quaking or trembling relates to the delicate rustling of the aspen leaves as they shake and quiver in the sunshine, responding to even the softest whisper of a breeze. This rapid fluttering exposes both sides of the aspens’ leaves to the sun’s glowing rays, allowing for more efficient photosynthesis, generating the energy that allows aspens to grow rapidly and as pioneers to re-establish the woodland. Aspens grow as a colony. One tree is in fact part of a large single organism, joined by a common and extensive root system reaching sometimes to beyond 100 meters from the parent. Above ground aspens live from 50-150 years, below ground much longer. Some stands of aspen have survived for tens of thousands of years.
““A S P E N T R E E S A R E
CA L L E D “ Q U A K I N G ”
O R “ T R E M B L I N G ”, N OT
BECAU S E T H E Y L I V E I N
F E A R , B U T R AT H E R
BECAU S E T H E Y R I S E
F R O M T H E A S H E S””
We visited the beautiful town of Aspen, Colorado at summer’s end. Nestled beneath the majestic Ajax Mountain, the Elk Mountains rising to the East, Roaring Fork and Hunter’s Creek plunging alongside and the magnificent Maroon Bells nearby, romantic scenery makes Aspen not just a resort town for fine dining and shopping, but a destination for all who appreciate the splendor of these peaks and gulches, the deep silence of the woods and the glorious views beyond the valley.
We hiked up and around Aspen just as the eponymous trees were shifting from summer to autumn, just as their shivering shimmering leaves were sliding from bright green to luminous gold, revealing the true treasures of pioneers of the West. We photographed aspen trees in Aspen hiking along the trails around the Iowa Shaft, Hunter’s Creek, the White River National Forest and the Maroon Bells.
Tree photography is always challenging. A successful picture is the result of deliberate thought and meticulous technique. The most important aspect is to pre-visualize the scene in question: Albert is drawn to shots of Aspen groves focusing on symmetry, pattern, texture, gesture and color. Ruth, with her trusty Leica Q and Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH lens, tends to think in black and white, and close up.
The potential compositions are everywhere but we find that the forest border usually presents a wealth of artistic opportunities, ample light and ease of maneuver with the tripod. Lighting is crucial: Is the sun behind you or are you attempting a contrejour photograph? The former will give you reliable even exposure but the latter makes the subtly colored leaves pop and may result in an unforgettable and stunning ambience. Depth of field is another essential factor and can be modified according to your artistic needs. Finally, Albert always uses a tripod as both the relative darkness and requisite stopped down aperture preclude a viable hand held shutter speed. This is particularly true for the Leica S, a medium format camera, whose lenses sport a narrower depth of field as per the rigid and uncompromising laws of optics thanmparable 35mm lenses.
Forests are complicated and potentially confusing compositions and a tripod mounted camera allows you not only to perform distill a simple and elegant photograph, but affords you the options of essential “border patrol” along with potential image stacking and HDR.
The most recent Leica S iteration, the 007, is a major improvement as you can now reliably use ISO 1600 for those dark forest shots. Nonetheless, I still tend to overexpose a bit by checking my histogram so as to obviate shadow noise. The choice of S optics runs the gamut of lens from the LEICA SUPER-ELMAR-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH to the LEICA APO-ELMAR-S 180 mm f/3.5 but I still favorite is still the LEICA VARIO-ELMAR-S 30-90mm f/5.6 ASPH. Ruth hand holds the Q, steps back, holds her breath and hopes for the best. A pioneering spirit!
““F O R E S T S A R E COMPLICAT E D
& P OT E N T I A L LY CONFUSING
C O M P O S I T I O N S “”