Readers Photo Challenge: Stunning photos will have you falling in love with fall

Clifford Oto, The Record
·3 min read
Blair Hake used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max to photograph upper Yosemite Falls after a snowstorm at Yosemite National Park.
Blair Hake used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max to photograph upper Yosemite Falls after a snowstorm at Yosemite National Park.
Gregory Alves of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 8 to photograph over Brookside Lake in Stockton.
Gregory Alves of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 8 to photograph over Brookside Lake in Stockton.

Fall is subject of the current Readers Photo Challenge and those who entered have fallen in love with the autumnal season. The most obvious sign of fall is the changing color of the leaves, and there were plenty of great photos of that. But it is also the season of migratory birds and due to the time change, sunsets happen earlier in the day and thus are more accessible.

Eighty photos were sent in by 18 readers. Here are the best examples.

Blair Hake of Stockton was on a trip to Yosemite when a snow storm hit, giving the national park a beautiful dusting of white. Hake used an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max to photograph upper Yosemite falls from the valley floor.

The mastering of snow on the mountain side helps to give it some nice texture while bright yellow aspen trees in the foreground adds some rich color.

Because the sun goes down around 5 p.m., this time of year this can be called the season of sunsets. Gregory Alves of Stockton used an Apple iPhone 8 to photograph a spectacular sunset over Brookside Lake in Stockton.

The sun sank below the horizon and the lingering warm light painted dramatic, flowing clouds with hues of orange, making them look like the fiery wings of a giant phoenix all reflected in the lake’s surface.

Moris Senegor of Stockton used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph a sandhill crane landing in a field along Staten Island Road near Walnut Grove.
Moris Senegor of Stockton used a Nikon D6 DSLR camera to photograph a sandhill crane landing in a field along Staten Island Road near Walnut Grove.

Fall is the season of migratory birds as they escape the colder northern climes to winter in the Central Valley. Moris Senegor or Stockton took advantage of this and photographed a sandhill crane along Staten Island Road near Walnut Grove. With a Nikon D6 DSLR camera equipped with a long 600mm lens, Senegor captured a crane as it landed in a nearby field of stubble. I like how the background, though out of focus, still had enough detail of the stubble to give a visual impression of motion despite freezing all movement of the bird with a fast shutter speed making it stand out even more.

Bettina Engelman of Stockton used a Sony A7ii mirrorless digital camera to photograph leaves on a Japanese maple tree in a neighbor's yard.
Bettina Engelman of Stockton used a Sony A7ii mirrorless digital camera to photograph leaves on a Japanese maple tree in a neighbor's yard.

When Bettina Engelman of Stockton and her husband were tending to the yard of a vacationing neighbor she saw the late afternoon light falling on the leaves of a Japanese maple. With a Sony A7ii digital mirrorless camera Engleman photograph the leaves as they were backlit against a darker background, which made them look as if they were they were glowing.

Carolyn Silva of Jackson used a Nikon D7500 DSLR camera to photograph an aspen tree grove along Highway 88 near Red Lake, California.
Carolyn Silva of Jackson used a Nikon D7500 DSLR camera to photograph an aspen tree grove along Highway 88 near Red Lake, California.

Carolyn Silva of Jackson photographed a grove of aspens off of Highway 88 near Red Lake in the Hope Valley area of the Sierras. With a Nikon D7500 DSLR camera she captured the warm tones of the gold and yellow fall leaves. The soft light filtering through the trees making the scene looks like the Lord of the Rings’ forests of Lothlórien. One almost expects to see Gandalf and the hobbits hiking through the landscape.

Janet Baniewich of Billings Montana, used an Nikon D3300 DSLR camera to photograph maple leaves on a tree at Silver Falls State park near Salem, Oregon.
Janet Baniewich of Billings Montana, used an Nikon D3300 DSLR camera to photograph maple leaves on a tree at Silver Falls State park near Salem, Oregon.
Tom LaBounty of Stockton used a Fuji GFX 100s digital mirrorless camera to photograph wild grape vines at Caswell State Park near Ripon.
Tom LaBounty of Stockton used a Fuji GFX 100s digital mirrorless camera to photograph wild grape vines at Caswell State Park near Ripon.

While Janet Baniewich of Billings Montana, was on a trip to Silver Falls State park near Salem, Oregon, she photographed the fall colors of the area. With a Nikon D3300 DSLR she photographed a closeup of a red maple leaf. In addition to capturing the leaf’s rich color she got raindrops clinging to it to add some visual interest.

Tom LaBounty of Stockton used a Fuji GFX 100s digital mirrorless camera to photograph wild grape vines at Caswell State Park near Ripon. The backlit leaves glowed green-yellow against a dark background.

Derrell McCain of Stockton used a Nikon Z5 digital mirrorless camera to photograph a Japanese maple tree on Quail Lakes Drive in Stockton.
Derrell McCain of Stockton used a Nikon Z5 digital mirrorless camera to photograph a Japanese maple tree on Quail Lakes Drive in Stockton.

Derrell McCain of Stockton used a Nikon Z5 digital mirrorless camera to photograph a Japanese maple tree on Quail Lakes Drive in Stockton. I liked how the gentle shifting of light gives subtle tones of yellow.

All of the photos can be seen in an online gallery at recordnet.com. A new assignment will be issued on Dec. 13.

Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 38 years. He can be reached at coto@recordnet.com or on Instagram @Recordnet. Follow his blog at recordnet.com/otoblog. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stunning autumn photos will have you falling in love with fall