R.G. wrote:
The leaf is the sharpest thing in the frame, which gives the impression that it's the only stationary thing in the frame. The background looks interesting in a surreal sort of way, and the shot as a whole looks like a leaf floating downstream.
I think R.G has come upon the thing that gets in the way of the idea of a falling leaf. Why not lay on your back and shoot falling leaves in Autumn? It might help you get a sense of how to recreate that look. I was out with my camera during a blizzard when I noticed leaves blowing across the snow. I had walked up a hill and they were at eye level so I started trying to capture them. I did get one relatively sharp, but when I got the pic up on my computer, it didn't look like a leaf moving across the snow. It looked like a floating leaf. I realizes this was because there was no motion blur. I would have had to pan the leaf, which would have been impossible. I did put some artificial motion blur on the background and it helped. I think your issue is ... How can you pan a leaf moving toward you? The answer to that question will tell you how to create the illusion. Let me know if you'd like to see my leaf attempt. It's pretty much as you'd expect though.