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Photographs: Fall, Photographs: Fall Color, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Sierra Nevada

All The Colors

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All The Colors
A large grove of multi-colored autumn aspen trees in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

All The Colors. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A large grove of multi-colored autumn aspen trees in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

When aspen trees transition from their summer green to their brief autumn show they can produce a diverse range of colorful foliage. Most of the trees turn yellow/gold, but the other colors can range between orange and several shades of red. I know some photographers look for the uniform golden colors — and they can certainly be spectacular — but I’m drawn to scenes that include the full spectrum. This is one of those scenes. In fact, here the orange trees predominate, along with green shades on trees that are yet to change. But look closer and you’ll find plenty of gold… and a few bits of red foliage, too.

Soft, shaded light with a bit of directionality is my favorite for photographing this subject. I made this photograph late in the day, just after the sun had dropped behind mountains to the west, but while the sky (and a few white clouds) still provided that slightly directional light. In these conditions the colors may not be quite as saturated, but the soft light fills that shadows and renders more of the details visible.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Commentary

(Yet Another) Quick Eastern Sierra Fall Aspen Color Note

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Based on what I observed during my visit to the eastern Sierra last weekend and on what I’m hearing from others who visited and who may be visiting now, a few quick observations, predictions, and thoughts:

  • Most of the higher elevation trees are likely to have lost their leaves by this weekend – if you shoot there look for the stark quality of bare aspen groves and perhaps a few lingering trees.
  • For this weekend, I suspect that middle elevation trees may be your best bet. Last weekend it looked like trees at the 8000′ elevation and a bit lower might be starting to pick up color, especially those in somewhat more exposed locations.
  • The consensus among a number of folks whose reports I follow seems to be that some of the areas that generally change later may be best a week or more from now. (For me these include spots like Lee Vining Canyon and Lundy Canyon.) To state it directly, some are suggesting that the weekend of October 17-18 may provide some interesting low-elevation color.
  • Overall, the the grand cycles of nature in the eastern Sierra, a number of us are thinking that this may well not go down in the records as the most astonishing year for aspen color.
  • There are always other great subjects to shoot in the eastern Sierra. Trees down in Owens Valley and other high desert areas are changing colors; the eastern face of the range provides may wonderful photographic opportunities; aspens can be photogenic even when they are not bright red, orange, yellow, and gold; a dusting of snow on the higher peak – not unusual at all this time of year – provides some great images.
  • Keep in mind that even when the whole eastern Sierra is not lit up by wild aspen colors, all you have to do is find one spot that is.

There are no guarantees when it comes to figuring out what nature will do. Consult as many reports as you can find, watch the weather, be flexible, and hope for the best.

UPDATE: Do keep a careful eye on the weather early next week. Based on current predictions there is a very good chance that the first significant storm of the season may sweep across the state, and this could easily lead to extended closures of high passes.