First Signs

— Just yesterday I went to Northeast Metropolitan Park to look for subjects for an assignment. Although the fall season has barely started in Austin, Texas, I couldn’t help noticing that some trees are already exhibiting quite a bit of fall foliage colors. I must point out, though, that these are isolated incidences of color. There is nothing quite noticeable on a grand scale, such as what I observed last year with my Colors in Copperfield post series. That was in mid-November, whereas now it’s just the start of October.

Regardless of the number of trees with fall colors, I just had to get close and appreciate the color display on those leaves. My assignment could wait. Besides, I had already obtained several shots for that purpose.

It was late afternoon and the light was accentuating the colors. Shooting against the blue sky, the leaves were more vibrant and sometimes backlit. It was a small scene, no doubt. However, up close, it was very pleasing and colorful. Using my macro lens, I was able to capture more details and even get photos with an interesting bokeh effect.

Walking a little further, I came upon a different kind of tree. Besides the color changes, another thing caught my eye: the gentle curves that these leaves were showing. To my advantage, the wind was calm and did not cause any problems. I can hardly wait for more colors to show up. If the weather forecasts are to be trusted, fall foliage in central Texas will reach its peak around the weeks of November 7 and 14. I’ll be on the lookout.