Aspen Grove, Fall Color. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Shorter aspen trees at the edge of the grove, near the peak of Eastern Sierra Nevada fall color.
Over a few decades of photographing fall aspen color I have learned a few things, some of them seemingly contradictory. First, despite the annual attempts to figure out “when the color season will start,” it usually starts at pretty much the same time each year. (There are some variations, notably when the range experiences weather extremes such as drought or record-breaking precipitation.) Second, once a season gets underway there are many factors that can affect its progress — changes in temperature, the amount of moisture in the soil, elevation, storms (or lack of same), wind, and so forth. I’m still trying to decide how to characterize the 2019 aspen color season. Once underway it seemed, well, “odd.” In many places the color came early and didn’t last long, while in others there was great color. (For anyone still wondering, the aspen color season is essentially over now — but there’s always next year!)
I had first passed by this spot a week earlier — too early, as it turned out, but that was no surprise as I was there during the first few days of October. There certainly can be color that early, but better prospects typically come around a week into the month. I returned again the following week, but on our first attempt we got distracted by other subjects and by the time we arrived at this spot the light had changed and the trees were in full sun — which washed out the colors. So we came back the following morning, taking care to arrive a bit earlier than necessary, thus leaving time to find camera positions while the soft light still prevailed.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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