In autumn, when the verdant monochrome of our forests turns a montage of green, gold, amber, crimson, and orange, I seek out the big leaf and vine maples, or the crimson-splashed hillsides of huckleberries, serviceberries, and elderberries. For me, the kaleidoscope of fall is by far my favorite time to ramble in the forest. But my focus is not so …

The old idiom “can’t see the forest for the trees” describes being too wrapped up in details to see the big picture. But in close-up photography, the details are what matter—a recognition that the blanket of frozen, dead leaves on the ground or the tiny mushroom sprouting from a rotting log is the “forest,” just as much as the towering trees …