The Simplicity of Maple Leaves

The simplicity and beauty of maple leaves are most prominent in the fall. I found this broken branch on a park trail and photographed it against the contrast of the green grass, the blue sky and the yellow of fall leaves, all images were decent but lacked the simplicity and plainness of the beautiful maple leaves.
I was about an hour away from home, therefore the possibility of bringing this branch home to take pictures of was not possible.  After a few minutes of trial and error I came up with the shot above.
I placed the branch against a plain sheet of clear white paper and then taped the paper (with the branch attached) to the windshield of my car. The overhead Sun acted as a perfect source for back light. I went into the car and took a few shots with different compositions and exposures. The white paper was turned to orange by setting the white balance to shade.

Camera settings: ISO400, f/11, 1/80s