The Beauty of a Season

A photographic documentary of fall

I’m enjoying the walks in nature in the past few weeks. The change in the season offered me so many different objects to shoot. New colors. New perspectives. The new motivation for my days.

A few late bloomers are standing strong during the cold nights and presenting their colorful blossoms during the few hours of sunshine. The forest is changing. No more lush green treetops and fields.

Brown leaves are covering the forest floor. The soil made out of leaves is several centimeters thick. The treetops are painted in the colors of autumn. Yellow, red, brown, and orange are taking over.

Mushrooms love this time of the year. It’s their time to shine. In every corner of the forest, they are shooting out of the ground. The thicker the forest floor the better. Mushrooms love the moisture of this time of the year.

In summer I was surprised how many fern plants I saw in this forest since it seemed to be a very dry forest. No water running anywhere. Yet they were lush green despite the missing rain.

Now it looks very different in the forest. All the fern is brown now. Some of it is becoming one with the leaves on the floor. Perfect growing conditions for more mushrooms in between.

I haven’t managed to take a picture of some dry leaves due to the weather. That is why you see a shiny glance on all those captures. It’s the water from the rain that creates the sparkle.

Some leaves are still entirely green, others started to show off in beautiful orange and red tones. The combination of both is what makes the forest interesting at this time of the year.

I’m enjoying trying out new perspectives. Playing with the settings of my camera and placing it on the ground for a different angle to shoot from. I’m proud of my results and keep on experimenting.

These sweet chestnuts lying on the gravel road looked perfect for a shot like that. The background becomes blurry and the focus stays on these nuts on the floor.

Mushrooms are on every other photograph I take. They are the highlight of the season. They are the objects in the forest you focus on now. Sprouting through the forest soil in every corner mushrooms do look for attention.

These mushrooms came up on the side of the gravel road. I assumed there would be better spots for a mushroom to grow, but I guess this must be a good one too. Judging by the amount of mushrooms that came up here.

The hiking path through the forest is now very nice to walk on. It’s soft. Padded due to all the leaves dropping on the ground. It’s gentle stepping on them.

Only when I go cross country through the forest I have to watch out for stepping onto slippery branches. They could make me fall or alarm the wildlife around me when breaking.

New life is to be seen. At any time of the year. The forest is a constant life creator. Like this old stem. It created a new habitat for the next generation of trees in the forest. Protected by the old stem the new plants can grow easily.

But only when I lift my eyes from the forest floor I get to see the real colors. The variety of falls' color festival. Those trees which are yellow, red, or orange create the perfect contrast to its green neighbors.

I love walking along these colorful avenues. I know it’s a simple road in the forest. But it’s magic. At this time of the year. From every angle, you look at it. Simply stunning.

Now and then you get to see through the forest. Like here. I saw this bright orange tree shining from far. Couldn’t resist but stop and capture the beauty of the moment.

I mean who knows how long it will still look like this? In a few days, all the leaves might be gone and it will look like a dead tree.

“My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature.” — Claude Monet

Just a few houses away from my home I spotted this moss. Covering a roof almost entirely. It took my attention immediately. I don’t know why. It’s just moss.

But it is art too. Just look at it. The fine hairs growing together. In different colors and sizes creating a soft cover on the roof.

If birds do sleep on them?

These berries attract birds and insects. I do wonder if they aren’t poisonous. I am pretty sure they aren’t safe to eat for humans.

Yet beautiful to look at.

These flowers in one of my neighbors' gardens are one of the last ones. The last ones of the season. Even the last ones of the year. Soon it will be too cold for flowers. Too cold to bloom.

Then the only flowers you will get to see are the ones in your living room. The only ones until the first flowers come back in early spring. Just when the last snow disappears.

“Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.” — Delia Owens