November is a month of transition. In the early weeks of the month, the late-Summer greens of the forest become vibrant hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. By the end of the month, the colors begin to fade, and the leaves fall gracefully to the ground creating a colorful carpet beneath the trees before they become crisp and brittle and create the crunching sounds of Winter. It is a magical time of year.
In my last post, I mentioned I had made a visit to Collins Creek during the last week of November. This year’s Autumn color seemed a bit more sporadic and patchy than what it’s been the last year or two, so I really didn’t know what to expect on this trip. But, I promised myself that I would not get discouraged if the conditions weren’t what I hoped they would be; I would simply enjoy my time outdoors.
Sunrise was to occur just before 7:00 that morning, so I timed my arrival for about 6:30 when the sky would just be beginning to brighten. When I reached the parking area at my planned arrival time, it was still quite dark, which was a bit surprising. Adapting to the circumstances, though, I set the alarm on my phone to go off in 30 minutes and took a little nap.
The alarm went off and woke me up. It was brighter, but it still seemed unusually dark, and I realized that the sky was heavily overcast, which I was not expecting at all. A second short nap didn’t result in much improvement in the conditions, so I decided it was time to get out and see what I might find. Walking the path that runs along the creek, I stopped a few times to photograph some of the sparse Autumn leaves that were holding tight to their branches. None of those images impressed me when I photographed them, and my mind wasn’t changed when I looked at them at home later.
After about an hour and a half, I felt I had done all I could for that particular day and decided to call it a day. But, before I made my way home, I made a quick drive through the John F. Kennedy Memorial Overlook. On a hillside across from the overlook, I found this scene.
The forest transitions from summer to winter, Heber Springs, Arkansas
The hillside was covered in fog or a light mist, so it was difficult to really assess the scene. I wasn’t sure exactly what I would get and was pretty sure I wouldn’t care for the result. But, I framed up the composition, dialed in the settings, and pressed the shutter button.
When I got home and began working with the file, I was pleasantly surprised with the result. The variety of colors was fantastic with greens, oranges, yellows, red, and purples. But, what really caught my eye was the state of transition the photograph revealed: the greens of Summer, the dazzling colors of Autumn, and the leafless white branches of Winter.
Three of the four seasons displayed in one frame.
I like when our cameras can remind us they sometimes see a bit better than we can.
Very true, Mark, very true!