Drawing You Into the Scene of an Autumn Forrest

Earlier this week, for the first time, I visited the Brecksville Reservation which is part of the Cuyahoga National Park.  I've been to other areas of this park in the past but it's large, which is good, so holds plenty more exploration opportunities in the future.

Some of this area is laid out with stairs and railings in order to safely traverse the hilly terrain.  I'm used to slipping and sliding in the mud on nothing more than dirt or, when it rains, mud trails but am certainly not opposed to taking advantage of other structure when provided.

All in all it was a very nice day, though, with only damp ground and a cool, gusty breeze.  As for wildlife I only saw a couple squirrels and a few birds.  For all the cars parked in the surrounding parking lots I thought I'd run into a lot of people but that was not the case as I saw only, maybe, a dozen or so. 

This helped me take my time and just look around and observe the surroundings.  The goal I had set out for was not only to spend time in the woods but to take what I hoped to be compelling photos of one of my favorite places to be...one's that were thought out, well composed and not hurried.  

The woods can be a chaotic place with large and small standing trees, downed trees, various grasses, shrubs, plants, man-made structures, streams, ponds, boulders, animals, and on and on.  This is where I enjoy being and this time, with camera in hand, I set out with a deliberate plan to try to make interesting photos that would draw a viewers eye into the scene and linger there a bit.  

The ground was covered in leaves with more falling all around and the smell of autumn permeated the place...a little slice of heaven if you will.  At least to me.  I always want to know what lies over the next rise or around the next corner.  As a result, I often wander off the beaten path and hours can go by before I think about leaving.

Many times I tend to photograph a tree or a structure or a flower or an animal and so forth.  There's nothing wrong with that but I wanted do something different this time.  Do these photos draw you in?  Do they cause you to linger a while?  Do you wonder what lies around the corner or over the rise as you view them?  Did I accomplish my goal for this outing?  I would appreciate some constructive feedback.  Thanks for viewing.