Finding the colors of Fall

Published 12:00 am Sunday, September 17, 2006

By Adam Hammer, staff writer

Minnesota is turning red, orange and yellow with the autumn season. Albert Lea is still seeing a lot of green, but the colors are creeping in.

Every year, the colors come and go with little notice and before we know it, they&8217;re gone. Capturing the colors and scenes in a photograph is one way to hold on to autumn for a little longer.

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&8220;Colors are best caught when you can catch them at their peak,&8221; said Jerry Katzenmeyer, assistant manager at Myre-Big Island State Park in Albert Lea.

Albert Lea resident and Lens & Shutter Camera Club member Mitch Pederson said he looks forward to fall photography and capturing moments of color when they are most vibrant.

&8220;I try to get out at least once a year when the colors are in their prime,&8221; Pederson said.

Recent warm and sunny days and cool nighttime temperatures have jump-started the appearance of fall colors in some areas around the state, according to the Department of Natural Resource&8217;s Web site. In the Albert Lea area, expect to see the most vibrant colors in late September to early October.

&8220;This time of year, it&8217;s still pretty green,&8221; Katzenmeyer said. &8220;You can never predict exactly what fall will bring for color. We&8217;ve had both dry and wet, so you don&8217;t know what you&8217;re going to get.&8221;

Fall is one of the best times of the year for nature and landscape photography; however, finding the colors of autumn at their peak is often troubling.

Fall color reports &8212; which are available online at www.dnr.state.mn.us &8212; offer maps predicting the best time to capture autumn at its most vibrant and information from area state parks including Myre-Big Island.

Pederson has been using the site for a few years to navigate the best places to view and photograph fall.

Because the fall color show in Minnesota includes more than leaf color, the reports contain some extras such as changing colors in native grasses and wildflowers, as well as migrating wildlife reports.

Myre-Big Island State Park reports less than 5 percent of leaves have changed as of today with a few maples and sumacs starting to hint at some reds. For the best color viewing, visit the native prairie restoration areas east and south of the park office for grasses and flowers which are showing 70 and 100 percent of color respectively.

&8220;That&8217;s where a good share of different colors and plants are,&8221; Katzenmeyer said.

There are an abundance of yellow flowers such as goldenrods and sunflowers, and some purples such as blazing stars and swamp milkweed. Asters are just starting to bloom.

&8220;They&8217;re actually about as good as they&8217;re going to get,&8221; Katzenmeyer said.

Many people would not expect grasses to show a lot of color, but they will turn hues of orange and burgundy.

Peak color is expected to be Oct. 10 through the 15 in the Albert Lea area.

If you can&8217;t wait until then, northern areas of the state are already seeing colorful trees. Around Duluth and the North Shore are a few prime areas in northern Minnesota to find fall colors, Pederson said.

&8220;I find it&8217;s best to shoot on an overcast day rather than a sunny day,&8221; Pederson said.

Often, photographing flowers and colors in harsh sunlight can cause the colors to wash out and disappear in a photograph. On a partly cloudy or overcast day, a photographer can use the power of natural light and the diffusion of clouds to make well-lit pictures.

Pederson&8217;s trek for great fall photos can lead him east by Lanesboro and Harmony where he follows the Mississippi River north to Winona where scenic overlooks open up to vast spaces of color.

Pederson also likes to tie in other aspects of autumn such as harvests, pumpkins and apples.

&8220;They provide a lot of excellent colors,&8221; he said.

Although nature often sets its own scenes, sometimes it needs a little help. Sometimes, by moving a branch out of the camera&8217;s frame or nudging a leaf a few inches to the right or left, a great composition can be made.

&8220;Nature doesn&8217;t always lay things out the way it looks best,&8221; Pederson said. &8220;Also when we think of fall, we always think of leaves, but there is more.&8221;