Fall Colors Challenge?

Anyone getting great fall colors? I am heading up to NH this weekend. I am a bit anxious as it appears that they are still not at peak and I cannot go any other weekend. However, I have all intentions of trying.

Anyone else getting decent fall colors?

-JM

I know I will be in about a week.....are you going to sponser a fall colors challenge? Would find that a great challenge, but you would have to have a competition where the pic dosnt need to be taken in the time frame of the competition as other 1/2 of the globe is just getting spring ....so maybe limit to the most recent fall shots you have available?

Fall is starting here, and I am visiting the japanese gardens here this weekend....and of course the larger outing in a week.

Thinking good photographic thoughts for you and your excersion.....be safe and see you when you get back!!!

Roman

Hey Roman,

I figured this was a friendly wager, so to speak. Nothing really formal. Having said this, I have no problems with people being patient with their posts. Fall is just starting to begin in many places...

I look forward to seeing more of your shots. Thank you for the well wishes.

-JM

Cool.....look forward to sharpening my skills in a friendly competition.....I'm in good company.....so gota pull out all the stops (Hope I am up to it)!

Roman

James, I'm all up for a Fall Color Challenge! Where I'm headed this weekend is quite peaking yet, but I'll still be shooting. So I'll get something to contribute within the next couple weeks.

Have a safe trip and I'm looking forward to seeing what treasures you bring back!

- Mark

Well, thanks for the positive thoughts. I hope that the weather cooperates. We are heading up to NH in a few hours. We are going straight up to NH without stopping in Providence as it is much faster to go up 91 (though we still have to cut across 11 to get to Conway).

-JM

NH seems to be an interesting state because travel is best suited for going north-south. Going East-West requires all sorts of work on local roads. In principal, this is great. In practice, it means 2 hours vs 1 hour to cross the area we wish to traverse.

-JM

Where's the photos? or, was this just an idea?

I guess I'll kick it off. . .

again

another

Ok, here are a few from my first outing...will have more after the end of next week. Couldnt remember where this post was so posted them in a diffrent place....my bad.

One more

Tony,

I am sorry that I never saw your posts somehow...your shots rock. I particularly like the one of the elk bugeling in the folliage.

-JM

I agree James, But perferd the last shot of Zig Zag color....very cool. Nice work Tony!

Gonna have to pick up the pace....4AM tomorrow....I'm off on my adventure. Will try to give your colors a run for their money.

Later...if I get Internet connectivity....Ill try to check in.

Roman

I really like the japanese garden shot, could be a poster! Nice job. Have a great time on your adventure. . .

Thanks guys. First, I dont know how to imbed the image. second, the elk shot and the fall aspens sourrounded by the firs were both shot durring completely overcast and light one at about 1pm the other at about 4:30. Who said you need the golden hour? LOL - just a jab. I got the point from the post, just trying to mix it up a bit. . .

Take care - ho, by the way, the shots of the japanese gardens are very spectacular - poster's for sure. . .

P.S. - fall is mostly done up here in glacier country. the sun road is closed all the shops are closed and the trees are mostly bare, at least in the mountain country. If youre out on the plains, there's still some opportunity. Now, bring on the blizzards!

Thanks Tony.....and not problem with the jab....lol....heck...if I cant laugh at myself.....shame on me! Feel free any time.

I am off at 4AM tomorrow morning....just got back from shooting a wedding....so have to upload all the shots, and get my gear back in order....recharge everything.

I am hoping I didnt miss the color shot in Yosemite....I am told that this is the time to go if I am gonna capture anything at all.

See ya'll in a week!!

Roman

Heres mine.

Hey Kevin,

That is pretty excellent. I am heading out to the Hamptons on Saturday evening. I may not get a ton of fall folliage, but I may be able to get other fall color shots. We will see.

-JM

Well...not much in fall colors here in Yosemite. But what does change....is changing....so despite Dynamic Range issues....(Sky blowing out). Sky was grey during the day....good for diffusing light during the day (extending my shooting timme) but bad for shots with sky in it.....but this afternoon, the clouds got lower and were playing with the upper walls of the valley....so started bracketing shots (5 shots...1 stop breaks) in hopes to get practice in the HDR tool in PSCS2....Morning in Glacier Point was awesome....I had the entire place to myself with only one person showing up (not many others getting there at the crack of dawn)Off to Mono Lake tomorrow....Supposed to be sunny and nice....hope a few clouds show up.....

Roman

Hi Kevin,

Your shot is awesome. Rich colors. Where did you take it?

Lou

This year has been a total drag here in the North East. It looks like I will not be heading out to the Hamptons this weekend - which is fortunate as it will be raining for most of Saturday. If I can sneak away next weekend, I will try to do so. I will go to Photo Expo this weekend. This has been a pretty 'ho hum' photo expo by the looks of it so far.

These shots were from a couple of years back in Yellowstone. I figured I have nothing current to give, but there is no reason why I cannot go back a bit. :P

-JM

This is one from my recent trip to New Hampshire. The shots are not very good as it did NOT stop raining the entire time I was there...but I figure it is good to share success as well as failure. Often times, I find more failure than success. :P

If the shots had come out, I had planned on doing an article called 'Making it Happen.' Unfortunately, if I wrote something, it would be "When it Can Not Stink Enough." As the light was not very dramatic, we tried to crop in tight and get as close as possible to our subjects. Sometimes, we added a little fill flash from off of camera. During many of the photos, it was raining while we were shooting. Thankfully, the hotel provided showercaps for the cameras.

-JM

Ok....working on my other shots, but here are some of my color shots from last week.

Roman,

Your PBase gallery of pictures from your trip are great. I saw one of your threads at dpreview.

Tim

Hey Roman,

Looks like your positive thoughts paid off. Excellent work. I think that the 2nd shot is the best of your group. Nicely done!

Did you come across any unexpected conditions while out there?

James

Well, let's give it a try. We don't have those nice scenery's as there are in those beautiful area's in the US and Canada, but still, it can be nice here (The Netherlands) as well!

http://www.pbase.com/trees/image/50876151
http://www.pbase.com/trees/image/50876104
http://www.pbase.com/trees/image/50876113

Trees

Trees,

Your last pic of the three leaves is very good.

Duncan,

I only see a Google Images section in your message. No links.

Lou

Oops! I think it should work ok now.

Duncan

Thank you, Lou. Any comments on how to make better pics are welcome.

Trees

Some really awesome images in this 'challenging' thread! Colors haven't really arrived here in the Smokies yet but I did manage some pre-Fall photos at Fall Creek Falls State Park over in the Cumberlands last week.

The Fall Creek Falls are the tallest East of the Mississippi, at 356' high. For scale, the tiny speck to the right of the falls' base is a person!!



For proof, here's a 100% crop!



D70/18-70DX

Dick:)

This stone face, near the falls, reminded me of Abe Lincoln!
Just a touch of early morning mist.



D70/80-200 f2.8 AF ED

Dick:)

Some of the trails were pretty rough but also scenic.



Nikon D70/18-70DX

Dick:)

Another view of the falls over some more colorful foliage:



Nikon D70/18-70DX

Dick:)

Dick...very nice shots. I especially like the rock outcropping one. Is that a famous spot for photography?...its like I have seen that before. Thos falls are pretty cool! Nice work!

Roman

Here is a shot I took this time last year in WV. Shot with 50 speed Velvia, F5, 28-70/2.8 on a Gitzo 1325 with AS ballhead. Slow shutter speed - probably a second at somewhere around f14 or so.

Scanned with a Nikon 4000 scanner and lightly edited in PS. Surprisingly little color fix; just there at the rght place at the right time. Velvia doesn't need to much enhancement. I did clone the upper left corner and lower right corner to get rid of some small areas of distracting blue sky and blue water in the respective corners.

Rick Waller

Trees,

I apologize if I did not come off right in my message. I liked the 3rd shot best. I think it is very good. I think that they all are very good. I have a bias towards nature scenes. The picture of the park bench was also good, just not to my liking in the same way.

Lou

Richard,

The picture of the stone face is great. I wish I had something as nice to show off. The lighting is excellent.

Rick,

I find it amazing that those colors are not punched up. The pic is great. That is the great think about Velvia. What time of day was the pic taken?

Lou

I think there are a lot of really cool shots up here. I am glad we did this. I am making my last try this weekend. I am getting up and going with my friend Larry (a forum member) to do some preserves in upper Westchester NY. My goal is to get moving by 5 AM on Sunday. I have a wedding fair later in the afternoon, so I hope that I can keep up the energy level.

-JM

Last bit of color the Japanese Gardens could muster for this year.

Roman

Hey Roman!

I like Fall Close-up a lot. I just was shooting yesterday up in Westchester. Lots of yellows...very few reds. However, I got a couple of decent shots. I will post them up later.

-JM

This has been an incredibly disappointing fall for me. The weather has just NOT wanted to cooperate. Anyway, this weekend was the first weekend where we have had some success with everything. The predominant color was yellow - with very little red..however, we got a few OK shots. I miss the reds.

Anyway, I had a blast going to some of the local preserves that exist near my home. You can go to the Nature Conservancy website (they have been mentioned in a bunch of our interviews for doing excellent environmental work) and they will list places that you can visit.

I went with my wife, my friend Larry and his wife. Larry was testing out his new Minolta 7d. What a nice little camera.

Here are a couple of more images that I took this weekend. In some respects, I like these last two the most. Surprisingly, I keep going back to those red leaves I took earlier in New Hampshire. I think they were the favorite that I took - mostly because the conditions were so poor, and the shot came out a bit better than I expected anyway.

James,

I like the first shots in both of your last posts. The leaves are showing a great orange color.

Roman,

The Japanese Maple is very nice.

Lou

Here is my first stab: [image]http://www.pbase.com/donald_09/image/51805324[/image]

That didn't work although I thought I followed Jim's instructions. Maybe just attach it.........

Hey Don,

I did something a bit tricky. I think the problem was your link to Pbase. I am not sure why it gave you difficulty. What I did was copy the URL that was created when you click on the download link in your post...and added image tags to it.

It is a great picture of one of my favorite places. I do not recognize the vantage point. Were you heading over to Dubuois, WY or was this taken from somewhere else?

-JM

Jim,

I don't remember precisely but I believe it was in the area of Oxbow Bend.

Don

Great entries so far. Here is a shot taken around Crested Butte area in Colorado. Want to name it "Cloud Catcher"..



-Devendra

Devendra thats wonderfulloflight :-)

I find in general an horrible taste for darkness in photography
I love the light and transparency here


eRICK

Hey Erick,

"I find in general an horrible taste for darkness in photography"

That is an interesting comment. Can you explain it more? Looking at Devandria's beautiful photo, I think I get your idea. However, I am wondering if you mean more too.

-JM

Me too, what does Erick mean? I think I get it but wish he would expound.

ho ! maybe that is a language problem too

inheritance from romantism is still so present in art :
here good <> here bad , a strong, a maximal opposition between both
+ a strong Catholic tradition and we are in the darkness hoping for light

if you look at Song Period (X,XI century in China) you never get this opposition, even if the ink is dark and the paper white

I wonder if (black) racism has not a big part in it

happyness in art is seldom .. ho ! that is difficult for me in english

I cannot look at a photo without thinking : where is art in it ? what is the idea on the wold i get there ? I feel free or in jail looking at it ?

if I look at a spring or waterfall trying to get no idea at all of what it is ... even the darkness is open
no oppostion nowhere .. something appears
transparency is maximal

i'd like to be absent when shooting
i am not


i like very much to hear what you think about this black and white problem

eRICK

Hi Erick,

I know that English is not your first language. You are speaking in very large themes, but I am still having a difficult time understanding your post. Do you want to try to take one more stab at it?

-Jm