Our Sierra Fall Colors

[maverick]

Most folks, even those from California, are not aware that there is beautiful Fall color in our Sierra Nevada to be found, it just takes one to go looking for it, which may include driving 6-7 hours, timing the trip accordingly, putting up with some sub-freezing temps, and doing some serious hiking to find the more beautiful groves along the many creeks, deep in some of the canyons, which may require some bushwacking. It may, most of the time, require multiple visits back to catch the color changes at the many different elevations, but when everything comes together, it is well worth the effort!

This was the first trip of the season for me, family illness, employee illness, and smoke from the fires had kept me away from photographing my beloved Sierra, and even though this trip was not a backpacking trip, it was still very satisfying to be out in the mountains again.

Fall color photography does not require any backpacking, plenty of rugged hiking, being all day, and able to move from one location to another quickly is.

One is on the move from the morning hours to sunset, searching for locations through canyons with dense brush, looking for optimal l scenery, and then going back when the light quality is ideal, which is paramount for a landscape photographer if he/she plans to capture the splendor of the Fall colors in the our "Range of Light".

This trip was timed around the incoming storm that was coming in on that Saturday, was hoping it would produce some wonderful aspen/snow color
combo's and that special lighting that only the Sierra can, which it surely did.

My usual 5-6 day trips only produce one or two art piece's, sometimes more, which then go into my purchasing gallery, but this trip produced several magnificent pieces, which is just in time for some of my upcoming private shows this Fall and Winter.

Will now share two of these distinctively different pieces with you, please click on the each to get a larger and more deserving view of these beautiful representations of our Fall Sierra!

[wildhiker]

Nice work Maverick. I especially like the golden aspens.
-Phil

[SSSdave]

Quite a winner well done! Very nice clouds hiding peaks in the back. If you crop down the upper sky the frame loses impact as the wonderful sky blue at center balances the rest of the geometry well.

I was wondering if there was a reasonable perspective up canyon from down there and had looked at a spot that might work. Given time I would have also sped back to the car and then up to that hill in the frame beside the NL dirt road and tried a telephoto of the peaks in the distance.

Nice feeling to have good success during a period of otherwise frustrating reality. You have the right attitude about hunting for unique fall leaf subjects as there is much more possible once one leaves popular areas 99% of others frequent and am not afraid to rumble in the aspen jungle.

[maverick]

Thanks Phil and Dave.

Quite a winner well done! Very nice clouds hiding peaks in the back. If you crop down the upper sky the frame loses impact as the wonderful sky blue at center balances the rest of the geometry well.

I was wondering if there was a reasonable perspective up canyon from down there and had looked at a spot that might work. Given time I would have also sped back to the car and then up to that hill in the frame beside the NL dirt road and tried a telephoto of the peaks in the distance.

Nice feeling to have good success during a period of otherwise frustrating reality. You have the right attitude about hunting for unique fall leaf subjects as there is much more possible once one leaves popular areas 99% of others frequent and am not afraid to rumble in the aspen jungle.

Oh, yes!
That grove located on the lower part of North Lake Road, that did not look great while driving thru it, but once one gets above it, at the hairpin curve, and climbs up onto the first set of cliffs, the views of them, including the smaller upper grove and the peaks in the background, with the right morning lighting, is just sublime! Already have two 30 x 45's ordered of this one.

Turn off the lights, get it dark, and click on this piece to get those aspens to glow, yes, they do glow!

[maverick]

You have the right attitude about hunting for unique fall leaf subjects as there is much more possible once one leaves popular areas 99% of others frequent and am not afraid to rumble in the aspen jungle.

Exploring the deep canyons of the aspen jungle sometimes produces gems.
Click on photo to get the full effect.

[SSSdave]

Ahh you did get up on the hill. Good to read I'm not the only gymnast that enjoys a good bushwhack challenge.

Am done with processing the shots from my second trip and ought to knock out the html coding tomorrow. I just might drive back out in a week for round 3 given some cloud forecast with light wind as the lower riparian stream areas will finally be peaking while black oak and dogwood are now changing on western slopes.