The Light of Autumn

The Light of Autumn (Day 5 of 31)

Fall light is magic. More people claim fall as their favourite time of year than any other season, and the way the world looks is a big part of that. The vivid colours and changing leaves we associate with this time of year give us a jolt of energy, and the freshness in the air makes us eager to start new projects.

Meteorologists tell us there are two reasons fall light is so special. One is that the sun is hitting the earth at a lower angle, which changes the quality of the light we see. The other reason is that, in most places, fall is a time of lower humidity than summer. The air looks so crisp and the sky so achingly blue because an invisible haze has been stripped from the world around us. You are, literally, seeing everything more clearly at this time of year.

The opportunities offered for photography are generous. In most areas you can still dash outside with just a jacket; you don’t have to deal yet with boots and hats and bundling your kids up in snow pants. If you need an incentive to get outside and snap a few shots, remind yourself that this is, for most of us, a brief season.

It’s a good time to get landscape photos—leaves, dew on grass, afternoon shadows. Tree branches, too, tend to show up well in the crisp light of these days. Even if you can fit it in only once or twice, strolling around and taking some photos in the autumn air is guaranteed to be rewarding.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)