Lessons Learned: Accent colors

This composition would probably work well as an interesting texture with only richly-colored brown leaves in it, but it wouldn't have the "zing" it gains by having the colored leaves scattered across it, particularly the bright orange-yellow maple on the right side.

Textures are fun and plentiful in the natural world. Your lawn is an example of green, grassy texture, and although it's attractive all alone, it would work better as a photograph with an accent color, something like a bright leaf, an interesting metallic sprinkler head, or a child's colorful toy placed upon it. Each would convey its own message while offering an accent to an otherwise repetitive texture.

Another accent in this picture that's a favorite of mine is the pastel pair of maple leaves on the left side, the pinkish and bluish ones. I've regretted, after looking at this picture, that I didn't take another shot framing very closely on just those two.

The Lesson Learned here is that almost every picture can benefit from its own "zing" and as often as not, that little extra bit of pizzazz will come from an accent color.