The Fury of Fall

Fall is here, and the leaves are changing quickly; we’re charging quickly through what is most photographer’s favorite season. Brilliant colors and earlier sunsets make for lovely working conditions, but here in Wyoming, fall tends to be our shortest season, so it’s a bit like trying to rope a freight train. Nothing like a bit of chaos in trying to capture what could turn out to be some of the best images of the year.

The quickly ticking countdown clock on fall in South East Wyoming is only compounded by everything else life has to offer this time of the year. By now, we’re just settling into the rhythm of a new school year, and the change of the season typically signals the start of the busy season at my real job as new projects start into design for next year’s construction season. It’s always a fight with the weather, too; Wyoming is never predictable, rain and maybe even some snow one minute, bright and sunny the next. Factor in time spent with visiting family to go cheer on our Pokes on Saturdays, it all adds up to a lot of pressure to make the most of the limited time to get those killer colors on camera.

But that’s the fun of it; it’s never sure thing that you’ll find something that’s worth capturing, but when you do, it’s all the more satisfying. My first weekend out was a decent success, and I’ve probably got one or two more outings before the first snows of the year finish off all the foliage. Time will tell what comes of it, but all the fun of it is in fast and furious nature of it; just getting out into nature with a camera in my hand, not much is better than that!