The Colours of Autumn
October 11, 2026
Autumn in the woods is a slow fire. The birches turn first, pale gold, then the maples go red and orange, and finally the oaks settle into a deep bronze that lasts well into November.
The colours come from pigments that were there all summer, hidden under the green chlorophyll. As the days shorten, the trees stop making chlorophyll and the yellows and oranges show through.
This is also the best season for mushrooms. I photograph them but never pick them. Too many of them look alike, and some are seriously poisonous.