Who is your Santa?

Even after photographing for nearly two decades, Mother Nature still catches me by surprise. The little things that she provides near my home, at my home, or on the road still give a never ending inspiration.

Just the other day, I had one of these moments when I discovered a tiny 2 inch autumn leaf on our living room window. What amazed me the most was that it was so perfectly straight and aligned. Curiosity kicked in and made me wonder how the leaf actually ended up where it was. If one thinks about it, the fall leaf must have been blown off a tree nearby to start its journey, traveled through the air and then with the help of the rain and raindrops glued itself to our window. And this all happened over night during a feisty rainstorm, early in the morning or just seconds before I looked out of the window to figure out what the possibilities for exceptional nature photography would be that day. Mind boggling, isn't it?

Because the lighting on the leaf was so exceptional I had to pull out my camera and tripod. The beautiful neon like leaf illumination was created by an overcast morning light where the sun is almost breaking through the clouds. The background in the picture was made of the lawn and trees in the park opposite our house. So, who is your Santa? Mother Nature definitely is my Santa and if I open my mind and eyes, she brings joy, day in and day out. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!