Autumn in Transition

Today’s Post by Mildred Alpern

You turned the tables on me

And now I’m falling for you

music Louis Alter , lyrics Sidney D. Mitchell , published in 1936 .

“You turned the tables on me” is an interesting idiom with a song title to match. From the 1930’s movie Sing, Baby, Sing , this song has been recorded by numerous pop and jazz artists and orchestras. One meaning is to reverse a situation and gain the upper hand. So how does this work with the autumn season? With an imaginative stretch it does.

Undoubtedly, the beauties of variegated mountain ridges in peak color – scarlet, saffron, and umber- extol the season. But turning the tables, reversing the situation, on these picture-perfect scenes gives pause to reflect on the ways that wind and rain shape equally stunning images of autumn in its downward spiraling senescence.

For example, when the tables are turned, we witness the changes in several ways: Wet fallen leaves glisten with raindrops, straggly isolates hang from tree branches, and walkways are fully carpeted in ersatz brushed gold. Ah, such charm in fresh ways to record the passage.

The Wet Leaves were shot with the Olympus E-M5 Mark II and Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 lens with an exposure of 1/250 sec at f/7.1 and ISO 1250; the carpeted leaves with the Olympus M. Zuiko 12-50 f/3.5-6.3 with an exposure of 1/1250 sec at 7.1 and ISO 2500. The scraggly leaves with the Olympus E-M5 with the Olympus M. Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 with an exposure of 1/125 at f/4.8 and ISO 400.

Coming this Week: Our Holiday Gift Guide. In the first one, our Mildred Alpern makes a suggestion to brighten you Christmas-time photography. Don’t miss it.