The Autumn

From the American Oxford:

The third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May

The reference to harvest bears little meaning in my life as a city dweller. Harvest happens every weekend at Costco.  However, the reference to falling leaves is closer to home.  This implies yard work. But it also implies fall colours.  As I walked through Eldridge King Forest this weekend one could see the leaves are starting to turn. Next week should be even better.

I took this shot at 8:44 AM on September 22nd.  Dawn that day was between 6:36 and 7:05AM.  The sun was starting to rise above the hills but not above the trees. This was a single, hand-held shot. I composed the shot to capture the few reds and yellows in the leaves, the sun rays through the dissipating mist and the starburst effect with the sun which supplements the sense of depth. 

I processed the image with Nik Color Efex Pro.  I used the following filters: Polarization; Dark Contrasts; Extract Details; Brilliance & Warmth; Skylight; Flood light; Darken Center; Image Boarder.  I don’t use the Dark Contrast very often, but in this case it worked because it  desaturated the image just in the right way.