Timing is everything when it comes to photographing fall aspen color in the Sierra Nevada. (Well, OK, some location knowledge helps, too…) The most basic element is determining when the color peaks. That can be complicated, as it varies depending on elevation, the type of terrain, and the weather. And, to be honest, there’s almost always a bit of luck involved. When I search for color I rely on a lot of hunches based on past experience and observations of current conditions.
I visited this spot twice this fall. This photograph comes from the first visit, when the trees were very close to what I regard as peak color. The leaves have thinned a little bit, but the remaining foliage is almost all in autumn shades of yellow and orange. To illustrate how important timing is, when I came be a bit less than one week later the great majority of the leaves had fallen, in part dimply due to the later date but also as the result of windy weather.
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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, (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.
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