Fall colors usually grab my attention the most when the sun is shining brightly. That’s when the reds almost drip color and the golds look positively regal. Sometimes, however, a gray foggy day can add an air of mystery to an autumn scene while still allowing the foliage to display beautiful, though somewhat subdued, colors.
We recently had a few days of unseasonably warm weather which was quickly replaced by a cold snap. The overlap of these two weather systems generated a day of fog. I didn’t feel like driving too far in the fog so I went over to Owen Conservation Park. Two other cars were in the lot but I didn’t see anyone else on the trails as I wandered through the gently rollling oak savanna. The leafless oaks lurking in the fog made an interesting backdrop for the wet grass, the gnarled sumacs, and the few remaining flowers.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much color remained. The intense reds and oranges of the sumac leaves had no problem burning through the fog and the prairie grasses still formed a tall golden wall along the edge of the trails. Foggy skies are surprisingly bright when it comes to photography so I had to overexpose the images somewhat to prevent the colors and textures of the vegetation from getting lost in the shadows. Open skies tended to burn out but, considering that there is no detail to capture in those areas, it was not a problem.
More foggy photos from my walk in Owen Conservation Park are shown below.