Maple Rainbow, Nacogdoches TX

The SFA Mast Arboretum is full of beautiful trails that look just like this, with a rainbow of colors beneath towering pines. There are over 7500 plants in this 10 acre East Texas paradise. Just a across a small creek is the 8 acre Ruby M. Mize Azalea garden, which has over 500 named varieties of Azalea. Both parks are full of Japanese Maples and other Maples that have been turning colors over the last month or so. Some have already lost all of their leaves, but many are in full color or are just starting to turn.

This is a single 2.5 second exposure. There was not much wind so the leaves are still fairly sharp even at 2.5 seconds. I've found these gardens to be very difficult to shoot. I've spent about 5 hours in the Arboretum and taken about 250 photos, but have only a handful of well-composed photos. It's overwhelming, but in a good way, and with more time I'll figure it out.

Critiques are always welcome.

Daily photo: December 3, 2012, taken November 25, 2012

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