Autumn is magic here in the Eastern Sierra. The season usually begins by the middle of September and lasts until the second week of November. 2019 was a huge, almost ugly winter. The spring color change was late this year as the snow didn't really stop until late May. I have seen Lupines still trying to bloom in September! Because of the late winter snows, the autumn did not really start until the end of September, and in early October we had a serious cold spell which browned out the colors in the highest locations. That was a bummer for me, since many of my preferred spots are high in Rock Creek and in Bishop Creek Canyon. But that's the way photography works out. I was scouting yesterday, and the lower colors are just starting to shift. Here is one of the first images of the season. We had a light snowfall during the cold snap in September, and I was out walking mindlessly—but not so mindlessly as to totally ignore the details around me. I noticed this little spot of colors in the snow. I came back later in the afternoon, and with the help of several foam-core boards from the gallery, managed to both reflect light onto the small leaves and to block any direct light. I like the results, and I’ll be bringing those boards with the rest of the season. Check back for more Autumn images as the weeks slip away, I am trying not to notice that the winter is around the corner. It was 18F in Mammoth last night. All the best!
