THE TIME OF LOVELY, stunning days in Minnesota is fleeting, moving from autumn toward winter. Those of us who live here understand that. And we appreciate each day that brings sunshine, warmth and no precipitation, especially snow.
With that mindset, it’s as if we can’t get enough of the outdoors. Raking leaves, clearing flowerbeds and other pre-winter activities fill our days. As do walks in the woods or drives to see the fall colors, which are nearly gone now except in portions of southern Minnesota.
Last Sunday afternoon, I slung my camera across my shoulder and joined my husband on a walk through Faribault’s River Bend Nature Center. We had about a half hour to hike before an afternoon obligation would draw us indoors.
I am not, by craft, a nature photographer. But I am an observer and a detail-oriented person. Put a camera in my hands and I begin to view my surroundings with even more detail. That’s one of the things I love about photography.
Through the lens of my camera, I notice the play of light, degrees of color or lack thereof, curves and lines and shapes.
Autumn is, if anything, a season when color fades, when muted earth tones prevail.
Except for the occasional flare of fiery red-orange maples and oaks. And the blazing yellow.
I love the cobalt blue skies of this season. While that hue was absent on the afternoon of my walk, I still tilted my head up to a canopy of clinging leaves.
I also aimed my eyes and camera lens horizontally to appreciate plants drying. Cattails dry to a cottony fluff. Milkweed pods burst with the promise of next year’s growth.
The seasons cycle. And as they do, I observe. I notice. I photograph.
BONUS PHOTOS:
TELL ME: What’s your favorite fall activity? What do you appreciate about autumn?
© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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