Autumn Leaves, Redwood Creek. Muir Woods National Monument, California. September 26, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Autumn leaves float in Redwood Creek at Muir Woods National Monument.
I suppose that this is really my first “official” autumn photograph of the season. (I did post recent Sierra photographs that show “autumn” conditions, but they were made just prior to the equinox.) One of the reasons I went to Muir Woods today is that I know that the understory trees are some of the first in the area to show fall color, and I thought that the transition just might be underway. Indeed, the color change does appear to be starting, with these large yellow leaves starting to appear along with the brown needles that have fallen from the redwoods, the turning bay tree leaves, and some ferns that have many brown leaves.
I photographed these leaves floating on and near a log in Redwood Creek. The creek runs through the main valley of the Monument, and I made this photograph from one of the many bridges that cross it. One challenge here is trying to find a time when other visitors are not tromping across the bridge and vibrating the camera – especially important in the very low light which necessitates long exposures! (This was a five-second exposure.)
I had not been to Muir Woods for a few months, so it was interesting to see how the conditions have changed in the late summer and early autumn. Many of the plants that I photographed as they emerged in spring have now stopped growing, and in some cases are starting to die back. The lush and moist green quality has slipped a bit towards drier and slightly dusty conditions in places. One thing that hasn’t changed is that this redwood forest is a very cool place – although temperatures in the Bay Area today were into the 90 degree range, I had to wear a jacket when I arrived at the redwoods.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
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