Gratitude
For the month of November, our church has been having us keep track of all the things we are grateful for- writing them down and saying them out loud. I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends- and this month especially I am grateful for my brand new bionic knee and the promise of a more active and pain free lifestyle!
Happy Thanksgiving!
And of course I’m grateful for autumn- my favorite season!
Aspen Glow
We were fortunate to be in Flagstaff a couple weeks ago on a beautiful Fall day when the aspens were in all their glory. It made my heart happy to see so many other people up at Snowbowl, late on a weekday afternoon- everyone there just to catch the late afternoon sun hitting the aspens. Unforgettable!
Leaf Greetings
As we walked around Courthouse Square a week ago, the branches over our heads formed an arch so the autumn leaves could greet each other.
A Dog on the Path
There is a really nice area in Oak Creek Canyon that we are usually never able to get into, but, on our way to Flagstaff two weeks ago, we were thrilled to see that traffic was not backed up along the road and that there were parking spaces available in the lot. We didn’t have a lot of time, but we were able to walk along the path for about a half hour or so. The leaves were just beginning to turn, and the overcast skies certainly contributed to the feeling that autumn had arrived.
After we crossed a walking bridge, we encountered a cute dog and his family, and I thought his white and black coat made a nice contrast to the orange, brown, and green fall scene.
And just because I can, here is the same photo with some painterly effects added.
My Favorite Month
October is my favorite month! I look forward to wearing sweaters and jeans and down vests. I love when the temperatures drop and the leaves on the trees turn color. I especially love when pumpkins start appearing in the stores and pumpkin lattes are available again. And I still love Halloween!
In celebration of my favorite month, here is an October still life, edited two ways in Lightroom.
More Bits of Autumn
A lensbaby view of the trail in Watson Woods
Autumn Reflected
Here is another image from last week’s walk in Watson Woods. There were ducks- and I waited 15 minutes for one to swim into the orange reflection. I ended up liking this photo better- it’s all about the trees!
Fall Finch
Some of the leaves are actually starting to turn, even though it still seems like summer here. I’ve got my Halloween decorations out and am drinking a pumpkin spice latte as I write this- so, according to the calendar and Starbucks, it IS fall! In the spirit of autumn, I took this photo of a goldfinch against the backdrop of fall leaves.
October Color
Last week, Lonnie read a feature in our local paper about the beautiful fall color to be found at in Watson Woods, the riparian preserve by Watson Lake, only a mile or two from our house. We drive by it every day, so we decided to go over there and see what we could see.
The photo below shows one of the first scenes to catch my eye- what photographer can resist reflections?
Here’s another version of the same scene- with intentional camera movement for an impressionistic view.
We walked until the mid afternoon heat started to catch up with me (why was I wearing long sleeves and a vest?), and then we stopped to soak in the atmosphere before walking back to the car.
Shadow Play
As this leaf skittered around on the glass tabletop in the fall breeze, I took several photos with the plain glass as backdrop. But there was something about the juxtaposition of the leaf, its shadow, and the tabletop pattern that caught my eye. I added some textures and tones in Photoshop to create this little piece of photo art.
Autumn is Ending
Just as the fall leaves were changing color, they were blanketed by this year’s early snows. It seems winter is coming early this year.
Winter is coming . . .
The hush comes with the deepening of Autumn; but it comes gradually. Our ears are attuned to it, day by quieter day.
But even now, if one awakens in the deep darkness of the small hours, one can hear it, a foretaste of Winter silence.
~Hal Borland
For as long as I can remember, Fall has been my favorite season. I think I like autumn leaves on the ground almost as much as the leaves on the trees. And to my eye, they are melancholy and mysterious in black and white- I love their fragile, crispy crunchiness and ragged, tired edges- reminding us that Winter is coming (a Game of Thrones reference, with my apologies). Snow is in the forecast in the high country, but I don’t think we’ll see any here. In the meantime, I’m enjoying every minute of Fall!
Blowing in the Wind
Today’s photo was shot with my lensbaby and includes a couple leaves, part of a bunch I gathered while walking down our hill, and some old books of my mother’s (yes, I love to photograph old books!). Way in the back is a little clock- a gift from my god-daughter for hosting her wedding shower (8 years ago?!?). The wind was blowing into my garage studio, causing the pages and leaves to shiver and shift while I took the photo, making focusing with the lensbaby a fun challenge. Fall is slow to arrive this year, but it is on its way.
More Punkins
I never get tired of taking photos of pumpkins. Expect a few more over the coming weeks!
