In Northern Virginia, where I live, we generally do not have the spectacular changes in the colors of the autumn foliage that I experienced while growing up in New England, Instead, the leaves often seem to fade gradually from green to brown before they fall off of the trees and are trampled underfoot. I love the reds and yellows of the autumn and am constantly on the alert for patches of these bright colors.
This past Saturday during a visit to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens with some friends, I was very conscious of the transitioning seasons and I tried to capture my impressions in some of my photos. The first image has an almost impressionist feel to it, caused largely by the ripples on the surface of the pond. Although the colors may be the traditional ones of autumn, I believe that almost all of the yellow was a reflection of the goldenrod plants that were blooming in abundance.
The second image is a bit more moody, though you can still see some of the autumn colors reflected in the dark waters, where lotuses and lilies were blooming earlier in the season. The final shot showcases the heart-shaped leaf of a lotus plant that is well past its prime. I was really taken by the way that the light shining through the leaf from behind highlighted its veiny structure. The deterioration of the leaf gives this image a tinge of sadness, a poignant reminder of the inexorable passage of time and the inevitable changes that it brings—nothing in nature lasts forever.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Fantastic shots, Mike. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Tricia. It is always fun to think of creative ways to interpret a subject like “autumn.”
These are wonderful images, Mike. Autumn reveals itself in many ways. You’ve captured some nice ones.
Thanks, Dan. It’s a fun challenge to create images that represent the new season. There is a produce stand/store nearby that always has an impressive display of pumpkins and gourds and I may have to visit them soon to take some different kinds of fall photos.
Very nice collection, Mike! I especially like your first image with the reflected colors.
Thanks, Ellen. That is my favorite of the group too. As you can tell, I deliberately composed it so that only a thin strip of the ground was showing and the rest was reflections. I thought about cropping out the land entirely, but decided that I liked it better with some of it showing.
You’re welcome! That was a good choice leaving the strip of land to provide orientation to the viewer.
Nature’s recycling!
We don’t get much autumn color down in Florida, either. It is something that I miss. And the beautiful cooler but not cold weather!
Excellent images!
Thanks, kenne.
Fall provides wonderful subjects for photography, and with your eye, wonderful images.
Thanks, Lulu, for your kind words. Fall provides my favorite weather of the year and gives me an additional motivation to be outside to search for those wonderful subjects that you mentioned.
Delightful trio of images!
Thanks, Liz. It was a bit weird, but wonderful to link together three images that were so different from the kind that I normally shoot. 🙂
Nice series of images Mike! Enjoyed seeing them!
Thanks, Reed.
Wow! So very much loved both your reflective words and images, Mike. Your yellow reminded me of a quote: “Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.” 🙂
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