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Last Colors and Leaves of Fall
November 2005
We had a lot of rain in October—enough to make up for the rest of the season, which was somewhat dry. Now the streams are fuller, the weather has gotten colder, and we have had our first snow of the year, at least in our Northern Catskill Mountain Top community. There are still some leaves on the trees, but most have fallen.
Our cover image, called “Dusted with Snow” by Claudia Kuhn, seems appropriate as we begin to make our transition from the cool fall to the colder winter.
Next we see an image of “Male Cardinal on Snowy Bark” by Gail DuBois. It is a fortuitous shot, since we see some green in the background which is an ideal frame for the red feathers of the bird. And there is the bright brown bark of the branch covered with a layer of white snow as the base of the image. Opposite, there is “Stream at Platte Clove,” by Loraine Arnold, an amazing scene of a full flowing stream coming down the mountain, running over rocks covered with autumn’s fallen leaves. It is an idyllic photograph perfectly representing the fall season.
In the next spread we see two images of fallen leaves laying on the ground. On the left there is a brown leaf lying on frosted blades of grass. The photograph, called “Frost Leaf,” by Kelly Merchant is well composed, with the green blades of grass around the leaf creating an excellent composition. On the right we see a golden leaf embedded in snow in a photograph by Krista Pagano that she calls “The Lone Survivor.” It, too, has a fine composition, with the yellow surfaces of the leaf contrasting with the blue shadow on the snow.
Then we have a double spread called “Autumn’s Last Light” by William Palmer. This is one of those wonderful photographs which one can catch in only a few moments of a glorious sunset. Here, the photographer not only shows the beautiful red images of the clouds against a still blue sky, but also finds a cluster of trees rising from the dark ground to create a sense of drama.
We end with a dramatic image by Matt Petricone of a duck on a pond, its reflection perfectly formed on the surface of the water. Here, too, it is the moment of sunset, and the water reflects the red and golden images of the sky above. In the distance there is the dark image of the land bordering the lake, with the reflection of the trees in the water. A perfect image with which to end this month’s portfolio.
--David Finn
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