North Cascades Highway Fall Color (WA)

scole

Although you can't go wrong with fall color around Mount Baker & Heather Meadows, I went out searching for someplace else. I decided to take the day off and head up to Rainy Pass on the North Cascades Highway and do the Maple Pass loop.

Fall color still seems to be 1-2 weeks away from really peaking but there still were great displays if you looked for it. I got many great photos so I might do another thread for some additional photos.

#1. Lake Ann-



#2. Fall Splendor beneath Heather Pass-



#3. Larches turning colors-



#4. Vine Maples-



#5. Color along Ruby Creek-



#6 Solitary Vine Maple-

hawkeye978

I like the composition in #1 but the dark logs in the front bother me. I think they are a really nice element but I feel they should be lightened.

I also like #4 and #5 with the interesting color that is beginning to appear.

DaddyO

Nice set of images. Thoughtful compositions. Interesting point about
the logs low in shot one. Wonder if fill flash would have netted you
an even higher result. I can tell you I have a tough time remembering
to use flash in possible situations that may warrant the use of it.

squirl033

nice colors... i'm thinking i may try to get up that way next weekend (not this coming, the weather's rubbish, but the 10th or 11th look promising...). it's such a scenic part of the state, and the fall colors should be about at their peak...

jeffmeyers

Beautiful captures and processing. The first one would be just brilliant w/o the logs. Loose the logs in the foreground and you've got a great shot.

Tango

great series, #6 is awesome.

scole

Thanks for all the comments.

In the past, it has crossed my mind to try to use my flash to supplement the lighting but I didn't think of it this time. Doh! The shot was lightened but I'm a bit conservative in my lightening for fear of washing things out too much.

#2 was a moment that I knew I wanted to get right. When I initially composed the shot, I was just a bit wider but there were some dark shadows in the foreground that just distracted too much so I zoomed in a bit further for the shot I posted. I loved the colors and I'm pretty happy with the resulting photo.

I also really liked #6 but it took some creative composition as well. That tree is literally on the side of the busy highway. Immediately off frame on the left is a highway sign. I wished I could center the tree better with space on both sides but you do what you can!