The aspens in California's Eastern Sierra were late to put on their autumn colors in 2011, but when they finally did, the vistas were stunningly beautiful.

Alison and I slipped away on a short road trip after reading reports of some impressive displays of fall color in the the Eastern Sierra. We weren’t disappointed.

This shot was taken in the early evening on October 23rd and was one of the first photographs I took on this trip. As you can see, this aspen grove at Conway Summit (near the town of Lee Vining) radiated the full spectrum of leaf colors from green to yellow to orange to red. Just a few trees had lost their leaves at this point, which along with the few green trees, indicates that the display was precisely at (or perhaps a tiny bit past) its peak.

I’m actually grateful for the few bare trees in the photograph. I think they add an interest to the image and strengthen its composition. Why not leave a comment on the blog or email me and tell me what you think?