Sweetgum Fall Color

Sweetgum Branches, Nov. 8, 2005
I was visiting a playground and just happened to have my camera and tripod in the car. When I saw this beautiful sweetgum tree, I decided to try and capture some of its beauty. I did not, however, have my polarizer, which explains why some of the leaves are washed out with a blue-white glare. I plan to return to this location with my polarizer so I can try again. This time, using the polarizer, I hope to capture the warm and bright colors of the leaves.
I have always loved sweetgum trees, ever since the age of 8, when I saw my first. I was impressed by the beautiful and dramatic star-shaped leaves and the "gum balls" (spiky fruits containing seeds--that start out greenish and turn brown as they get dry). Sweeetgum trees are most common in the southern deciduous forests, which is why they are more often seen in places like Missouri and Virginia rather than Iowa or Michigan.