The time for longer and more everlasting contentment is in the autumn of our lives – Albert Emerson
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Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f/16 : 8.0 sec

Jones Gap State Park
Marietta, South Carolina, USA
The time for longer and more everlasting contentment is in the autumn of our lives – Albert Emerson
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Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f/16 : 8.0 sec
Jones Gap State Park
Marietta, South Carolina, USA
Sometimes the most scenic routes in life are the detours you didn’t mean to take.
Door County, Wisconsin – is one of the premier spots for enjoying fall colors. Am glad we decided to take a detour and explore the back country, for it gifted us with this lovely palette of colors :)
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 50 mm : f/16 : 4.0 sec
Backcountry
Door County, Wisconsin, USA
One of the best spots in the US to witness fall colors is in Door County, Wisconsin. There is this lovely road from Gills rock that is winding and looks magical. The ongoing road work made it rustic. Add to it the fall colors along with the morning fog – it all looked like it was right out of a painting – literally :) Once the fog settled, it looked liked this !
Curious on how this particular art was made ? check out the article –Artography – Photo to Painting.
Watercolor
By the Winding Road
Gills Rock, Wisconsin, USA
How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. – John Burroughs
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 200 : 10 mm : f/13 : 4.0 sec
Jones Gap State Park
Marietta, South Carolina, USA
Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. – Stanley Horowitz
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-280 mm : ISO 250 : 119 mm : f5.6 : 1/60 sec
Rough Ridge
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA
Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter – Ansel Adams
Jones Gap is one of a kind, so wild, yet not very far from Greenville. The main highlight of Jones Gap is the Middle Saluda River – the states first designated scenic river. The hike & terrain is somewhat challenging in a couple of places, but the views are amazing.
The late afternoon sun and the clouds were just right. The fall colors and the diffused light caused the entire place to be flooded with the golden glow. Was there just in time to enjoy this lovely scene :)
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 13 mm : f22 : 15.0 sec
Jones Gap Wilderness Marietta, South Carolina, USA |
Bahai Honda State park is one of the best spots to enjoy an Florida Keys Sunset (not that there is even any bad spots :))
On the left is the ‘Bahia Honda Rail Bridge’ – a derelict railroad bridge connecting Bahia Honda Key with Spanish Harbor Key. After a replacement Bahia Honda Bridge opened in 1972, two spans of this defunct bridge were removed to accommodate boat traffic. On the right is Hwy 1 – driving it feels like floating by the ocean.
The cold water felt good for the hot summer. Standing in knee deep water, the view was great. Though the crabs were kind of bothering me, they were not as bothered by me :)
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 200 : 10 mm : f6.7 : 1/90 sec
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Bahai Honda State Park Big Pine Key, Florida, USA |
The raging winds of Irma, Jose & Nate (2017 hurricane) took down most of the leaves this season, especially in higher elevation. The sporadic temperature swings did not help much with the colors either.
But this hidden treasure by the corner of Blue Ridge Parkway, had protected the beauty of the season. With a slight drizzle, rolling fog along the sparkling creek – the colors of the fall were just a magic to be witnessed.
Magic & Magical places do exist. You just need to believe !
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 20 mm : f16 : 30 sec
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Jones Gap State Park Marietta, South Carolina, USA |
It is a general perception that the quality of light moves toward harsh, as the sun moves up the sky, and not ideal for photography. But all rules are eventually meant to be broken :)
This particular hot afternoon I was driving around scouting for a potential sunset location. Glad the car in front of me slowed down, I applied the breaks and was treated to this view thru the window. It was only for a brief moment – the moving clouds diffused the harsh sunlight. And just a little bit gleamed thru, to light up the kayaker and part of the hill.
Always be prepared … it helps with photography too :)
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 50 mm : f4.5 : 1/500 sec
Devils Lake State Park Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA |
The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area lies entirely within the Pisgah National Forest. Sometimes referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East”, it is one of the wildest, most rugged gorges in the eastern United States. Given the terrain, it is also an outdoor paradise.
This is from the Chimney view overlook that provides a glimpse of Linville falls. The falls view is good, but one can’t miss this lovely view behind, especially with the lovely fall colors. Standing at the edge, the sheer depth of the Gorge was scary and at the same time exhilarating :)
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 500 : 25 mm : f11.0 : 15 sec
Chimney View, Linville Falls Trail Marion, North Carolina, USA |
The Blue Ridge Parkway experience is unlike any other. It provides a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, and providing opportunities for enjoying all that makes this region one of a kind.
Among the uncountable vistas and views, this iconic view of the bridge also stands out, more so after learning about the engineering behind it (below is from the Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center).
A viaduct is a long bridge with a series of spans supported on piers. The Linn Cove Viaduct is 1243 feet long and 35 feet wide. This signature view of “S” curve rests upon seven vertical piers spaced at 180 feet.
Linn Cove Viaduct is the first in the US to incorporate progressive placement of sections (each of the 153 precast sessions weighing 10,000 lbs). What this means is that the bridge is built upon itself. Workmen, materials and machines move back and fourth on the completed bridge to places each successive section. Little or no damage is caused to the landscape over which the viaduct is being constructed.
Grandfather Mountain is rugged and unyielding with active plant and animal communities throughout. Traditional road and bridge construction involving heavy equipment, earth moving, access roads and large construction crews would have adversely affected this fragile eco system for years to come.
Interestingly the lead designer of the roadway, Stanley Abbott, was a landscape architect, not an engineer and it shows. This signature view of the Linn Cove Viaduct was shot from a not so prominent spot. The early morning sun lit up the fall foliage ablaze. The biker racing up the parkway added to the shot :)
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 30 mm : f4.0 : 1/180 sec
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Linn Cove Viaduct Newland, North Carolina, USA |
Door County by Hwy 42 in Wisconsin is one of the premier spots for enjoying fall colors. During the peak fall season, any of the country back roads will treat you with a palette of colors, but this crooked road definitely takes the crown.
It really is a neat road, connecting the village of Gills Rock, Wisconsin with the Washington Island Ferry dock at Northport. At the right time, this winding stretch of road is encapsulated by a burst of fall colors. Thanks to the ongoing road work during my visit, it added a rustic feel to the shot !!!
There is no path to happiness
Happiness is the path :) – Buddha
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100: 119 mm : f5.6 : 1/45 sec
That Crooked Road Gills Rock, Wisconsin, USA |
Autumn is a Spring, where every leaf is a flower !
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f3.5 : 1/30 sec
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Devils Lake State Park Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA |
Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the fall season. As people gradually moved from working the land to living in cities, the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.
This scene from a Wisconsin county road seems to capture Harvest and Fall in a single frame. What do u think ?!
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 400 : 17 mm : f4.0 : 1/750 sec
![]() | Country Road, Hwy 57 Door County, Wisconsin, USA |
Life is truly a reflection of what we allow ourselves to See & Be !
Wisconsin Dells might be know as the Waterpark Capitol of the World, but it also very close to several state parks, know for its fall colors. Mirror Lake State Park is only a few miles from Devil’s Lake State Park and is often thought of as the “Overflow” park for campers who can’t fit in at Devil’s Lake. However, just visit once and you would realize that Mirror Lake State Park has a special beauty of it’s own. Though this is closest to Wisconsin Dells, it feels so far away from civilization.
At the heart of the Mirror Lake State Park is a beautiful lake … It is a great place to swim and paddle in. The evening was chill and the water was still. I just decided to stay out and enjoy the reflection, with just occasional birds accompanying me. The twilight from setting sun, the fall colors and the reflections were just complimenting each other. It turned out to be an amazing evening ! Now this is worth calling a Mirror Lake, right ;-)
P.S : The entire dynamic range was possible with 7 exposure, thanks to Magic Lantern !
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 13 mm : f13.0 : 30 sec
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Mirror Lake State Park Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA |
After a long planning decided to head to Door County for capturing the palette of fall colors. As I was scouting the locations online, read about Cave Point to be a prominent spot. Being close to the the place where we stayed, decided to head there first thing in the evening to capture some stars. Reaching the spot after sunset did not help navigating in the dark. With the moon scheduled to come up, did not have much time either.
The water, aided by the wind was crashing against the cliffs and caves. This bellowing of waves helped traverse to the edge of the cliff. But by the time my eyes got used to the darkness, the moon decided to come out. It indeed was a lovely moon rise across the Michigan lake. But the best was yet to come …
I decided to use the moon light to capture the rugged cliff from below. The cool breeze, the sounds of the water crashing against the walls, the night sky … and just as I was exposing for the same, this lively meteor decided to adorn the sky. It took around 12 – 15 seconds to span across the sky before burning off.
Given the waxing gibbous moon, I was not even expecting a meteor sighting. I could only imagine how bright it would have been, if not for the moon :) With my wife and kid atop the cliff (look keen), this definitely was a treasure of a moment captured !
Once I came back from the trip. looked up online and identified this as Draconids based on the date and direction. The Draconids owe their name to the constellation Draco the Dragon, and are created when the Earth passes through the dust debris left by comet 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner.
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f8.0 : 1/90 sec
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Draconid Meteor (10.11.2014) @ Cave Point County Park Door County, Wisconsin, USA |
The Volcanic scenic byway – It is one of the strangest places where I have seen some amazing fall colors. The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway skirts lakes, diverse wetlands, and scenic ranches, all against a stunning backdrop of volcanic landscapes. On second look, it felt like the lava was out flowing again :)
In the making for several thousand years, how do u like the fall colors juxtaposed amidst the rocky volcanic remains ?
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 130 mm : f5.6 : 1/60 sec
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Fall Colors by Volcanic remains Enroute to Mt Bachelor, Bend, Oregon, USA |