As we pass the Halloween weekend mark, we hit November. Daylight savings time ends, and most of the leaves have fallen in the high country, although we still have some beautiful trees in our own city to enjoy for a while longer. What I love about autumn is the crispness in the air, the quality of sunlight, as it seems to have more contrast, and the clarity of the sky.
The sunlight is really interesting this time of year. The sun is lower in the atmosphere, and we tend towards more of the golden and red colors as it passes through the atmosphere. I mentioned earlier, in my The Changes in the Seasons post, that light has to travel a greater distance through the atmosphere and as the light scatters more, we do get that richer color.
When I get the chance to go up and make some fall color images, I always tend towards the trunks of aspen trees. The leaves are beautiful, and I do love the complimentary colors as the yellow leaves quake in front of beautiful bluebird skies. Yes, I used that old out-of-date ski bum term (per Urban Dictionary) that describes a great ski day! I tend to be a little out-of-date occasionally, and well, that’s how I describe an awesome (yes, that’s another dated term) ski day. Those I love have called me a fair-weather skier on more than one occasion!
Anyhow, back to trees, or more importantly, tree trunks! I find that gnarly old wood, twisted with time, and abused by an elk’s antlers, to be the most beautiful of subject matter when photographing nature. They twist and turn to the sky, and tell stories of a life lived, and the weather endured. So, more than anything, my favorite images of autumn usually center on tree trunks!
