Fall, reflections, and some steps

[HappyCynic]

Here are a few miscellaneous photos from an outing today. The leaves are really starting to fall off the trees now so it's getting harder and harder to find a tree full of colour. There are still a few around, as the first image shows.

Fall leaves


I thought I'd check out how using the reflections in multiple puddles would look. I'm not completely happy with the photo but I think if the conditions are right, it could be a really interesting image (as if getting something interesting in a single puddle wasn't hard enough). I actually have another puddle shot that's much better but I'm going to post that one as my submission for the autumn contest.



And finally, a colour and a black and white version of a photo combining two of the potential themes for the November contest. They're not the best photos but please let me know which one you think works better and why. I'm in the mood to learn a bit more about the nuances of black and white photos. Thanks.

[qnr]

1. Lovely photos. Wish we had some trees around here. Big change when you're

used to Maine :)

The reflection shot is great, though my eyes were trying to focus on the leaves, so I might have moved the two that were actually in the puddle (or gone for a smaller aperture), but it's still a great photo.

Hard to tell about the two. I love the starkness and cold, wintry feeling of the black and white, yet the moss/lichen, and the spot of color from the two leaves in the center really attract me too.

[HappyCynic]

5. Reflection

Thanks for the comments. I tend to leave the scenes as I encounter them but I haven't thought about adjusting the aperture. I think your observations on the stair photos describes what I couldn't find the words for.

[Adsos Letter]

2. Those last two are great; either color or B/W!

[JeffR]

3. Almost always when faced with the "color or black & white" question

I opt for the latter. But here I think the colors really make the shot vibrant. It's excellent either way.

[Celebration]

4. I envy your puddle picture

Also, the steps picture is really nice--I prefer the color one because you can see the green on the steps, and also a yellow leaf in the water (as well as some other leaves).

[HappyCynic]

6. Puddle picture

If you liked the puddle picture, I just submitted a different one that I took at the same time as the one in this thread. I hope you enjoy that one as well.
As for the steps, I actually didn't notice the yellow leaf in the midst of the "action" until I checked out the images on the computer. But I'm definitely glad it was there.