God's Artwork Out My Window

by Sandi OReilly

Title

God's Artwork Out My Window

Artist

Sandi OReilly

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

We have many large trees in our backyard and many maples. I have been watching them for the fall color out this window. I saw the first red leaf on this tree over a week ago. The other day I walked by this window and was far enough out from it to see this amazing color had finally reached peak in our area. I got my camera and took this image thinking how amazing God's paintings are, especially in the fall. The focus was so that the leaves color would have a painterly effect. I don't want to forget all this beauty that is seen out many windows all over the country during this colorful season.

At the heart of the process for a leaf during fall is the loss of the green pigment called chlorophyll. During the spring and summer, it's by far the dominant pigment in a leaf and that's why leaves are green. But in the fall -- chlorophyll starts to disappear.

As temperatures drop, leaves get flooded with hormonal signals telling them to cease chlorophyll production. Chlorophyll contains a lot of nitrogen, which can be difficult for plants to get. So when winter comes, a tree wants to reclaim as much of it as possible and the pigment starts to break down.

Now that all that green chlorophyll is gone, two other pigments in the leaf get a chance to show their quality: carotenoid and anthocyanin. Carotenoids are the same pigment you find in egg yolks and carrots. They responsible for the yellows and oranges you see in a leaf. Anthocyanin is a pigment that's produced during the fall and gives leaves their red hues.

Nature Photography by Sandi O'Reilly, All Rights Reserved and Copyrighted.

ALL FAA WATERMARKS ARE REMOVED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. Thank you!

Uploaded

November 6th, 2013

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