Fall-in(g) Color

“Fall is coming and all I have to say is fuck fall. “But the leaves change color”. They change color for two days then a big breeze comes and you got nothin’ but sticks for the rest of the year.”

-Lewis Black

Fall comes and goes so quick. The leaves north of you change before you know it, then the leaves around you capture your eyes and mesmerize you, so you drive 150 miles to see the changes in the mountains. Once you’re in the mountains you realize the peak of color is already over and the only trees with leaves left have gone brown and crunch. That’s when you get the idea to chase the color changing to capture some photos of fall so next chance you get you pack up and drive south, this time 100 miles and the leaves are again almost through peak color. You’ve missed the one opportunity and that means waiting a whole year for a shot at it again.

This situation above can happen in only a few weeks time and was similar to what I went through this year. Even though I made it work in the end, I learned to be ready by September. Once the leaves start changing there’s a definite peak in color and a window of time to get your fall photos into your collection. Timing is everything with leaf peeping, you need to be ready to go whenever because they don’t change at the same time or stay colorful for the same amount of time year to year. A true New Englander can even tell if it's going to be a colorful year or not by how rainy the summer has been. Years with lots of rain inspire wonderful color in fall while very dry years although stunning aren’t as bright and vibrant. The key to always remember is to observe and enjoy what’s happening around you and capture the moments you have that are happening, because the moments you’re chasing after may not happen at all.

-Greg