The Leaves Have Fallen

       It would seem like the year has flown by. I can't be the only person who feels this way towards the end of every year. Let's be honest, there's nothing a photographer loves more than a warm Fall day with bright and brilliant warm colors to match. The reds and the oranges, the yellows and the browns. These create a soothing atmosphere provided the weather outside isn't too frightful, and that season is approaching. The height of the Autumn colors have passed, and it is becoming harder and harder to find those trees with their leaves still glowing, yet hanging on for dear life.

       Most people this time of year stop by the local farms to pick up various seasonal things. Pumpkins, and apple cider seem to be quite popular right about now. I frequently pass a small farm called Volantes in my daily commute. It has a small marketplace, as well as a large greenhouse, and a vast farmers field that give it a homey touch in an urban world. As many of you know, the clocks were just recently set back one hour (thank goodness for an extra hour of sleep). I typically pass the farm too early in the day, while the sun is high above, but this week the "Golden Hour" of light shone at the time when I happened to drive past. Simply couldn't resist. The folks there were kind enough to let me venture out into the field and do some shooting. I shot the above image at 135mm with my new 70-200mm f/4 Canon lens.
       Of course I also took along my 24-105 for some wide angle shots as well. The cool thing about wide angle shots is, if you get close enough, you can still fill the frame with your subject, but draw in much more of the background... like the shot below at 24mm.

       Something I have to mention is a scare in my family that occurred this week after my mom suffered a stroke as a result of a blood-clot in her neck. She was brought to stay at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston by ambulance, and stayed there a few nights. Sparing some personal details, she is weak on her left side, but is doing significantly better than she was. She has been transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Charlestown. Having been given the best room in the whole building, the view from her hospital bed was miraculous. To the left was a clear view of the Zakim Bridge, while out the right was a straight shot of the city under the Tobin Bridge (seen below).

       I actually managed to shoot this exposure 2seconds - Handheld! Thank you image stabilization. My Canon 6D does an amazing job at producing night images with little-to-no grain/noise. Of course, Adobe Camera Raw processing helps a lot too. For those of you that haven't tried ACR or Lightroom. Do it!
       My mom has done so well that she is actually being sent home today, which we are all very excited for. With proper home care and support she will be back up and running in no time. The support that we have received in the form of cards, flowers, and food has been incredible. I want to personally thank anybody reading this blog who has reached out to my family after this event, and I want you to know that your support has been very much appreciated.

I want to close today's blog on that note. It's been a very long week for all of us, yet somehow a very short year. Looking forward, like always, to the holidays. They seem to bring about a sense of family that everybody needs to feel once in a while. I hope everybody has a fantastic day, and I will see you back here next friday. Thanks for reading!