10/15/12 Fall Foliage: 2012

Fall foliage begins in the Midwest as I take in the

beautiful colors near Peoria, IL

Over the last month or so I've kept quite busy taking in the beautiful scenes Mother Nature has had to offer in central Illinois to add to my fall 2012 collection. I have always enjoyed taking an epic amount of fall photos every year and at the same time enjoying the last few warm days before Old Man Winter begins to have a stranglehold over the Midwest. In past years, (2011, 2011 Part II, 2010, 2009) I've made a huge effort to capture as many great landscapes and photos of the fall foliage peaking in central Illinois. This year was no different as I've logged many hours during my busy schedule to capture some beautiful fall colors in the local-area surrounding Peoria, IL. As much as I love storms and chasing severe weather it's nice to take a step back every now and then around this time of year to focus on other aspects of photography. Why? It just helps to raise your skill-level every year so when it's time to photograph that epic supercell or severe thunderstorm you can achieve some beautiful shots in the spring and summer year after year. Anyhow, this year I stayed more close to home visiting a few parks around Peoria, IL and Kewanee, IL. I visited Charter Oak Park in Peoria, IL and Johnson Sauk Trail Park in Kewanee, IL as well to name a few. I also made a special trip to photograph the campus of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN a couple weeks ago to take in the peaking fall foliage in that area as well. I'll post those photos in a separate post at some point. Anyhow, enjoy my 2012 fall photo collection that I've posted below:

"Everyday is a winding road!"

 "Like the colors in autumn...
So bright just before they lose it all"...

 I used many cloudy days to my advantage this year

to photograph the vibrant colors!

 I shot this same tree last year...but this photo

turned out much better this go around!

 One of my favorite shots this fall...

 Beautiful golden-yellow colors here!

 This might be my favorite fall reflection this year...

The beginning of fall foliage! (macro-lens)

 A cool fall perspective...

 Beautiful array of colors in this shot!

 This may be a frequent spot for me

next fall and maybe this winter?

It definitely has some "potential"...

 I took this shot after a rainy October day

and knew instantly it would be a favorite!

 Stunning yellow on this Maple Tree...

 Fall begins here as the leaves begin to change colors...

 An early fall morning providing

some vibrant fall colors!

 Fall scenes along winding roads

are quite photogenic...

 Here comes the colors! (macro-lens)

 A fall reflection on an early fall morning at Johnson Lake!

  A fall panoramic shot! (iPhone 5)
Click to enlarge...

 And another stunning fall panoramic...(iPhone 5)
Click to enlarge...

 Fall colors on a cloudy day "popping" in this local park!

 Falling leaves are a sure sign of autumn!

 A beautiful golden-maple near sunset...

 Back-lit fall foliage as the rain moves out!

 A breath-taking fall sunset outside Kewanee, IL!

 Another brilliant display by Mother Nature!

 Everybody dreams of that white "picket-fence"...

A drought-stricken lake providing

a nice fall reflection!

 More spectacular displays!

 An early morning foggy landscape...

 My favorite portrait-shot of the bunch!

An appropriate "spooky" building just in

time for Halloween!

 These trees goin' red...

 Another fall reflection!

 A fall sunset!

 More fall reflections...

 Yellow's beginning to show themselves here!

 Early morning showers and virga providing a weird

cloud display in the western sky...

 A fall scene along this trail...

 Fall colors peaking at this local cemetery...

 A fall and wildlife reflection!

 Lily pads at a local lake...

 "The truth is out there" I couldn't resist...

A nice array of fall colors on a perfect fall afternoon!

A little hike through the woods...

Another favorite photo!

Spectacular sunset after the FROPA (frontal passage)

Long shadows a sign of fall!

Our outdoor enclosure "lit-up" with the setting sun...

 A fall shot near sunset! (wide-angle)

 A beautiful area to take photos seen here...

I love this park!

 I thought this was a cool shot!

 (kind of like fall colors jumping out of the shadows)...

 Nearly all the fall colors present along the horizon!

 Another stroll through the woods...

 A colorful shot here!

 A nice fall scene here...

 Gotta love fall reflections!

 A ghostly fog along the fall landscape...

 Red's beginning to show up in early October...

 A cool perspective!

 Cirrus clouds overhead providing a good landscape shot...

 Cirrus moving in the western horizon near sunset!

 Fall colors beneath alto-cumulus!

 Nearly symmetrical lily pads...

 A beautiful fall evening shot!

 Fall foliage and a farm field being harvested...

 Patchy fall foliage in the local-area...

 A cloudy morning with fall colors

everywhere you turn...

 A mixture of colors here on a sunny early morning!

 The sun comes up setting the state for
some fall photography...

 The sun beginning to set along the Illinois landscape!

 Fall foliage overlooking this lake...

That wraps up my 2012 fall collection. I didn't make it to some destinations that I wanted to this fall, but their is always next year. I'll post more fall photos in a separate post as I traveled to South Bend, IN this month as well. Stay tuned for that.