Welcome back everyone,

Yesterday, September 22, 2018, was the first official day of Fall (as it’s known here in North America), the season (at least in the northern climes) when the air begins to cool, the days become shorter, and world around us gradually turns from green to vibrant yellow, brilliant oranges and reds, and golden browns. I’m primarily a color photographer, so fall is my favorite seasons for capturing the color that nature offers to us each year. With that in mind, I dug into to my archives and searched for some photos to share with you that depict the fall season, at least the way it looks through my viewfinder. Hope you enjoy.

The beginning of fall (and spring) are known astronomically as the equinox, the moment when the sun is perpendicular to the equator, thus both the northern and southern hemispheres are equally illuminated. This results in 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. In the northern hemisphere each subsequent day after the fall equinox, the days becomes shorter and the nights longer, while the opposite is true in the southern hemisphere. Fall or autumn (used more commonly in some countries) is the transition period between summer and winter. Here in the northern hemisphere the leaves begin to turn color and fall from the deciduous trees. In our own yard, the cottonwood trees have been shedding their leaves for a few weeks now, clogging up the rain gutters and generally creating a messy nuisance! And this year they are an ugly brownish, mud color rather than the usual yellows we commonly see. On the other hand, the maple tree in our back yard is a different story; the leaves are still green as gourds and often hangs on to it’s leaves until very late fall, sometimes until after the first snowfall! Most of us remember from our schools days that leaves change color as chlorophyll begins to breakdown and leaves stop their food making process. Fall colors vary from year to year due to differences in air temperature, sunlight, and soil moisture. Some years, the color is vibrant and showy while in other years, it’s drab and depressing. It’s early yet so we’ll see how the color shows itself this year.

With that information in mind my first set of fall photos is of tree leaves taken over a period of several years. 

As we step back aways, we see the whole tree show us all their beauty.

The next set photos are of fall landscapes. I had thousands to chose from as I find it easy to look around me and attempt to capture the beauty that the fall colors present. The first batch of landscapes are from our many fall trips to Madeline Island.

The second batch presented below are from other parts of Wisconsin such as the nearby Wisconsin Dells, Governor Dodge State Park, the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Pewit’s Nest State Natural Area, Peninsula State Park and Bayfield, Wisconsin. 

This grouping of fall photos comes from my home state of North Dakota. Now there aren’t that many trees in the state that offer the brilliant colors that we experience here in Wisconsin, but they have their own beauty with the wide open spaces.

These photos were taken in the Palouse in southeastern Washington just after the wheat harvested was completed. I enjoy the rolling hills and the golden stubble, I get a warm feeling every time I look at these images.

This last photo of landscapes comes from our visit to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. While the peak had passed the colored leaves were still hanging on to their trees!

In the fall, we see the fruits of the harvest, this is especially true with abundance of pumpkins. In addition to pies, those pumpkins often end up as jack o’lanterns on Halloween. 

Fall is when the apple harvest begins in earnest and the markets are filled with an abundance of varieties, both new and old. Used to be that Delicious was the most common variety, now there are many excellent choices depending on ones palate. Fortunately, we have several u-pick orchards near us so we can harvest the apples ourselves, always a fun activity on a sunny, pleasant fall afternoon.

The fall mums provide a bright spot of color in the fading flower beds.

Speaking of mums, it made me think of the many abstract photos I’ve during the fall season. The first photo is of mums, guess what the others are and where they were taken! Find the answers at the end of this post!

Once in a while, it’s important to include people in the photos to give it context and help complete the story. And sometimes it’s the implied presence as depicted in the fall cemetery photo! In some cultures, autumn is associated with melancholy as it’s the end of the summer season, the long, dark nights are ahead. So it’s fitting to present this fall scene from a cemetery.

This photo taken at the UW Arboretum showing a hawk keeping an eye out for an entrée to dine on and fatten up for the coming winter.

To end, a whimsical fall photo taken in the Wisconsin country side on a sunny, cool, fall day. I call it the “leaning silo of Wisconsin!”

Hope you enjoyed the tour of fall colors from around the country. I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the fall days and the color nature presents us at this time of year. If only, those pesky mosquitoes would go away!

Finally, a big thanks for the kind comments on last week’s post on the Open World program. The article even showed up on the Open World website that drew more viewers.

Until next week, travel safe.

Tom

PS: Here are the answers to the abstract photo questions: 1. Leaf and Thai Pavilion, Olbrich Gardens, Madison; 2. Pewit’s Nest, Baraboo; 3. Aspen Trees, Madeline Island; 4. Ferry, Madeline Island; 5. Fall Flower, UW Arboretum, Madison; and 6. Pewit’s Nest, Baraboo.