Tag Archives: Fall

Watching the Colors Change

October 3, 2020 Troy

Recently I was able to spend a week exploring Minnesota’s North Shore with my wife. This was planned back in February before the pandemic became a global crisis. As the spring went on changing into summer, I wasn’t sure it would happen as so many places closed. Thankfully many of the parks re-opened allowing camping as well. We had three nights planned at the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park to camp. I was certainly nervous before going as it can be quite cold near the end of September. In the days leading up to this trip I became a little more relaxed as the weather forecast was for beautiful days for much of the time camping. With this nice weather, we were able to watch the colors of fall drape over the area. Unfortunately I did not capture photos every day of the same location to reveal this change from our first night to the last morning.

In the top picture, you can see the yellows, oranges, and reds as they had already began to show significantly on Ellingsen Island but much less so near the lighthouse early in the week. In this next photo above, the colors seem to be even more vibrant the next day on Ellingsen Island contrasting beautifully against the evergreens also populating this little island. In the next picture below, you can see more of the yellows near the lighthouse. Unfortunately it was cloudy limiting the amount of light to really give you a good comparison from the top photo, but the colors are definitely stronger just three days later. I was absolutely amazed at how noticeable the change was in such a short time but very thankful to be able to enjoy this time with my wife while relaxing in such a beautiful spot.

Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog

A Fall Frosty Morning

November 11, 2018 Troy

As light began to appear one morning I could see the leaves were white with frost. Immediately I decided to finish what I was doing, grab the camera and head to a nearby park to see if I could capture a piece of this beautiful, frosty morning. The temperature was barely below freezing and was rising fast as the sun rose above the horizon so there wasn’t a lot of time to photograph leaves adorned with some interesting ice crystals. Working somewhat quickly I decided on a few shots I wanted and prioritized those in case the frost disappeared before I got them all. Fortunately areas more shaded retained the frost crystals a little longer extending my time of picture taking with these cool subjects.

I started with an overall landscape picture but the light wasn’t quite right so moved on to fall colored leaves outlined in frost while staying somewhat close to the place I wanted to photograph the overall landscape from so I could quickly return once the sun was lighting up the areas I wanted to see it more. That resulted in the picture at the top of this post. Frost covered cattails with some colorful trees reflecting in the slightly foggy water below. There were a couple of ducks on the water but seem to be missing from the photo. They would have really made a great addition I think. Once I captured that scene I began to move on to smaller subjects such as the milkweed seeds covered with frost in the photo above.

While the sun continued to rise shedding light on more of the landscape I grabbed a few pictures of leaves outlined in frost and showing some of the elongated ice crystals standing up from the leaves make them appear as though they had hair on them. A short time later I had to move on to shadier locations in order to continue capturing images of what remained from the earlier frost. That only lasted a short time later and it was time to move on to other subjects or head home and continue on the days projects. Heading home did not seem like a good decision since I was already at the park with camera in hand so I kept wandering to see what else was going on that may be photo worthy. There wasn’t much else that provided interest so I grabbed my bike out of the car and went riding to continue enjoying this sunny day.

Photos, Seasons, Troy's Blog

Fall Colors

October 28, 2018 Troy

Fall is slowly making its way south bringing with it some colorful leaves. There was a lot of promise for a spectacular fall canvas filled with reds, yellows, and oranges as Northern Minnesota has shown amazing displays but the transition further south has been less striking. It takes a little searching to find some beautiful fall leaves but they’re there. A little here. A little there. Many trees have decided to either turn a dull brown or just drop their leaves without even hinting at a change in color. It makes these spots of fall color more impactful though I think.

One of falls lessons in the above photo – Don’t be afraid to display your uniqueness! Most of the leaves have turned a bright yellow if they are displaying their color this year but there’s a few stunning red leaves mixed in. Capturing leaves floating in the water is always interesting especially if there’s a blue sky shining back.

Heading out one afternoon the unbelievable red colors of some of the leaves caught my attention in the late afternoon sunshine so I of course had to stop the car and grab a camera for a few quick shots before continuing on my way. Trying my hand attempting to find some artistry I set the camera so the sun was peaking through a hole near the top of the beautiful leaf. Not sure it had the effect I was hoping for but I still kind of like the shot. The grass is in the way in my opinion and the details of the leaf become lost in picture but I do like the sunburst filtering in through the tree behind and the whole in the leaf.

Heading home from work one afternoon I happened to look down along the Mississippi River and noticed some nice fall colors showing up. I decided the next morning to get up before sunrise, as the forecast called for a sunny day, and head to a nice spot to capture this morning light against the fall foliage.

Arriving near the river an hour before sunrise revealed a cloud filled sky leading to some disappointment but there was still time so maybe the clouds would begin clearing yet. As time passed and sunrise neared the clouds kept persisting dampening my hopes for a beautiful fall sunrise along the river. As the morning continued I tried to find things to photograph and began to notice a few breaks in those cloud blankets so I decided to explore along the river banks a little and there it was. The sun revealed itself shining on the reds and oranges beginning to arrive along the river. Unfortunately it was later in the morning so the light wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for but I took some photographs anyway which turned out ok.

On another outting I came across some beautiful bittersweet fully colored up and showing their bright red berries contrasting nicely with the bare trees and shrubs around it. I had to snap a few photos of this great looking vine. Happy Fall!

Photos, Sunsets, Troy's Blog

Watching the Sun Set

November 12, 2016 Troy

It was an unseasonably warm evening on Halloween weekend and I just had to get out and taken in the suns warmth while enjoying the setting sun. There were some wispy clouds floating across the sky setting up for one of those spectacular sunsets that challenges the beauty of the northern lights. But you just never know what kind of sunset you’ll get so your goal of photographing the beautiful, fleeting colors could end up failing as it often does.

Late in the afternoon I headed out to explore a place I haven’t spent much time at but appeared to hold great promise of beautiful photos. Meandering through a grassy field, swamps, and forest and many distractions to take pictures of (such as the snake in my previous post),I eventually arrived at my destination and settled in. There was still some time before the sun would set so I surveyed my surroundings looking for different possible perspectives to include in my pictures. Closer to sunset a warm golden glow began blanketing the landscape bringing a glorious end to my day.

Enjoying the brilliant golden sky reflecting back at me, the moment I have been waiting for had arrived. The sun was near the horizon and I was in a great position to take it all in with clouds in perfect position to make it a spectacular show. Hold on to see if the anticipation was warranted. Even if it became a bust at this point it was still a gift to be able to take in this beautiful afternoon surrounded by nature.

And there we have it – Sunset! Right on time according to my watch. This is were people decide to leave and head home. Often this means they miss the most colorful part of a sunset. As the sun passes below the horizon is when I really begin to pay attention to the clouds and watch for sunlight bouncing off of them.

Soon after there are some reds in the bottom clouds. What a beautiful contrast to all the dark blues surrounding them. Ohh I think this is going to be just what I was hoping for. A quick check to make sure the camera battery has enough power and my memory card has plenty of space for whatever photos I want to take. All things are good as I wouldn’t want to miss a piece of this because of a dying battery or full memory card. On with the show!

Tonight there is no disappointment in the sky while incredible colors splash above as if being painted right in front of me. This is where the choice becomes extremely difficult. Photograph this or just sit back and enjoy the moment. If you decide to photograph it you’re guaranteed to miss parts of oranges, red, and yellows dancing on clouds floating by but there will be pictures to look back on for as long as you want. To put everything down and take in the sights you’ll be able to watch it all unfold but only with your memory. You can guess my decision.

Incredible! How else can you describe this sunset? Who else is out here to see this tonight? Are the animals around me pausing for a few minutes to marvel at this beauty? Is this a celestial gift just for me? What have I done to deserve such an amazing moment?

As the sun continues to move further below the horizon and clouds continue to glide across the darkening sky the colors continue to change and begin to recede to the eventual darkness soon to follow. I still continue to photograph even though it is difficult as I’m almost paralyzed from this beautiful night watching the sun set in full glory. Humbled by these huge forces working together in indescribable ways. If only it could last a little longer.

A few more photos and it’s time to leave in order to pick my way through this unfamiliar forest while there is still a glimpse of light. I always walk away from a sunset like this very humble and full of energy from what I just witnessed. It can be a big spiritual moment reminding me of how fortunate I am and what I’ve been given. Also a bit of sadness enters from the realization that many other people didn’t even realize how amazing this sunset was and so didn’t, or couldn’t, take a few minutes out of their day to see it. Yep, it was the right decision to come here for this moment.

From beginning to end I photographed this sunset over a two hour span which may have been the best two hours of that day. Just before arriving at my destination I was photographing the snake and had the opportunity to continue doing so but decided it was time to move on as the sun was getting lower in the sky. Those can be challenging decisions to make but I couldn’t create more images of the snake and catch the sunset. I’m satisfied with how it all turned out. Some fun photos of the snake and images of this wonderful sunset.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Fall Flowers

October 30, 2016 Troy

As the summer gave way to fall late season flowers burst with some great color tempting me to point the camera towards them. There may not be as many plants blooming but those that are stand out reminding us that the cold is still a little ways away.

While exploring a nearby prairie area I came across a lone flowers spike arising from some grass which caught my attention because not only is it the only grass in bloom in that area but it had a beautiful purple color which I don’t usually see. It made me wonder if the color was more intense because it was blooming during cooler weather. Typically this would bloom during the summer when things are warmer.

Fall is a time full of Goldenrod on the prairie or in fields. I wanted to catch a bee climbing around the bright yellow blooms but was surprised at how difficult that turned out to be as there weren’t as many bees flying around as I’m used to seeing. I’ve heard bee populations have been decreasing causing a lot of concern but there was a drastic reduction with all of the Goldenrod flowers providing so much food in the area.

Most of the asters I came across this fall were varying shades of purple but occasionally a white one would stand out. Surrounded by the purples and golds of other fall flowers they made a beautiful contrast to the prairie.

While looking over some purple asters there would be these flower flies climbing up and over the flowers in search of newly released pollen. They provided some entertainment and challenge to get them in focus as they move quickly away from the lens. While taking pictures of milkweed seeds I found a milkweed bug lacking the vibrant black bands just hanging from seeds. It blended in very well with the white fluff allowing these seeds to fly in the wind.

It kind of feels like going full circle capturing images of the early spring blooms and ending with the last flowers of the 2016. I’ve definitely had some fun photographing them this year.

Photos, Troy's Blog

Images of Fall

November 18, 2012 Troy

As fall is getting closer to the end I thought I would share some nice fall photos for the Thanksgiving Holiday ahead. These were taken while playing around with a new camera we purchased a few months ago. Please enjoy.