October’s Impressionism

Today’s Post by Mildred Alpern

I suspect that the French Impressionists would have been pleased with the colorful spills of reds, yellows, and oranges on the lakes in Harriman State Park, NY in mid October. The opportunity to trace the beauty of the changing seasons in this 47,000- plus acre park with its abundant lakes (31) and surrounding forests is one I frequently seek.

Viewing pleasure is doubled as intense colors shimmer on the water. They reflect the surrounding trees, trunks and leaves. Water ripples blend the colors in protean patterns. Rocks and boulders are also part of the scene, so too brambly bushes.

From a distance, shot wide angle, the trees resemble miniature guards fronting a forest sandwiched between lake and sky. Zoomed into the scene, the colors blaze with a vibrant fury. There are somber color scenes too, where yellows grasses, oblong boulders, and felled logs create mottled patterns of grays and greens on the water.

October’s sky that visiting day seemed especially blue, and it too reflected on the water. So on a bright blue day, cloudless with a shining sun, I was keen to visit and glad that I did.

All images were shot with the Olympus E-M5 Mark II and the Olympus M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 Pro; the boulders and tree trunks at 54mm, 1/250 at f/6.3, -2/3EV, ISO 400; the miniature trees at 34mm, 1/2000 at f/7.1, -1/3EV, ISO 400; the trees up close at 86mm, 1/500 at 7.1, ISO 400.