Growing up, we always had a Japanese Maple Tree in our yard. It was just one of those trees that we all loved and felt a certain connection to. The changing colors of the leaves, the way that the top forms a beautiful canopy covering everything underneath, are all part of what makes the Japanese Maple such a unique and interesting tree.

For this reason, I have always been very interested in finding the ideal Japanese Maple Tree to photograph in the right conditions. For years I have sought out and taken single-frame, normal resolution photographs of various versions of this tree, but it wasn't until this recent trip to Oregon that I was prepared to capture an ultra-high resolution VAST photo of a beautiful Japanese Maple Tree.

In the fall of 2017, I sought out this specific tree at the Portland Japanese Garden. But this Japanese Maple has a secret.

The one we had in our yard was fairly large, easily over 12 feet tall and with branches so large you could climb on them. That is why it was so surprising when I finally found this tree, only to discover that it was no more than 3 feet high. It is deceptively small, but once you crouch down underneath, the canopy, you are treated to a beautifully perfect structure of branches and leaves.