Almost bare branches

[dwaugh]

I was in my woods again and it was just about getting dark outside, and I saw how the trees looked and I just had to go get my camera to see what I could capture.... and this is what I got. It's an abstract shot I guess, but it does have meaning and shows the changing season too... I like it to say the least... your thoughts? (and no the photo is not on its side, this tree kinda goes sideways toward the top...)

[Don Schaeffer]

I love those leaves. How did you get that effect?

[dwaugh]

The effect comes mostly from the time of day I took the photo, at about 4:30 PM when it was just starting to get dark. The branches were shadowy, but the light left in the sky passed through the leaves. I used a shutter speed of about 30 for this. And to make the effect stand out, I made sure there was a bit of contrast added, although hardly more contrast than I usually use.
That's where I think the effect came from...