Editor’s Note: Gilbert pro photographer Michael Madsen shoots with a Nikon, while Patty Van Herpen prefers Canon. The artistic duo team-up to teach basic photography classes at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Their class Nov. 9 is timed just before Autumn foliage begins to peak in the famous Chinese pistachio trees around the gardens. Their $40 workshop is indoors from 10am-noon, followed after lunch by an in-the-field shoot and individual camera coaching. Enroll with a credit card ready by calling 520-689-2723 from 830am-4:30pm. Preview fall color at ag.arizona.edu/bta. Madsen shared a few tips about the art of Autumn leaves:
Q. What is it about fall color that you find compelling as an artist?
A: It is ironic that the majority of the people I know complain that Arizona does not have four seasons. I have lived in Stockholm, Sweden, and other cold climates and I find it amazing that here in Arizona fall starts in September at higher elevations and trickles down the mountains at a slow pace into the deserts, actually lasting into January at lower elevations. That’s adds up to about four months of fall color for those of us who are in tune.
Q. Where are your favorite places in AZ shoot fall color?
A. I have shot fall color at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Escudilla Mountain, San Francisco Peaks, Mt. Graham, the Catalinas, Galiuros Wilderness, Pinal Mountain and around the Mogollon Rim. My favorite place in Arizona for fall colors is (well, it was) Escudilla Mountain, with it’s thick stands of aspens interspersed with coniferous evergreens arranging a beautiful palette of colors for fall photography. My second favorite region is the San Francisco Peaks, large stands of aspens with stark white trunks below lofty peaks as majestic as alpine areas in Colorado.
Q. What’s the most common mistake amateur photographers make with their autumn foliage photography?
A. Photography is individualistic and I don’t like to say there is a right or wrong way to take a picture. I am often amazed at other photographers, even amateur, who have created wonderful images in lighting conditions that are challenging for me. There is room for all of us to learn new approaches from each other. One of my Arboretum students was thrilled to learn that he could take stunning photographs of the fall colors even when the trees were in shade.
Q. Your Nov. 9 workshop is a bargain – two instructors for a day, at $40?
A. Yes, and teaching photography over the past few years Patty and I have noticed more women in our classes. Why? Maybe due to improvements in camera technology over the past decade as they’ve become smaller, portable and affordable. If you’re interested in the art of photography, and the technical side of how a camera works, this presents a great opportunity to enjoy a class hosted at one of the most scenic, picturesque and camera-ready places we know: the colorful, peaceful gardens at Boyce Thompson Arboretum.”