Geary County, Kansas – Red sumac leaves take center stage during early autumn. On earlier trips I’ve tried capturing the brilliant reds but haven’t found the images as pretty as the real thing. Mostly I think it’s a color harmony thing. It takes time for the yellows in the surrounding grasses to shift from yellow to orange, making the overall feel better balanced. Anyway, here’s another study of autumn reds, using just enough depth of field to keep the plant in focus while letting the background shafts of grass go to painterly streaks. The colors really are this brilliant when back-lit by evening sun, along the rocky edge of Geary County State Fishing Lake.