10/28/11 Fall Foliage: 2011 Part II

Spectacular fall foliage here in Peoria, IL as the
fall colors have now peaked in this area...

Over the last few days I've shot another good handful of photos of the peaked fall foliage in Peoria, IL and Kewanee, IL. I actually had the pleasure to use my new camera lens in this bunch as well. I like my Sigma 10-20mm lens, but I'm finding I like my Canon 10-22mm wide-angle lens better! That should be a lens I'll use much more next spring. Anyhow, I posted another wide-assortment of photos I've shot in the past few days adding more to my 2011 fall collection. My photos from the past few days I've posted below:

Stunning fall colors here!

A nice scenic route here on the west-side of Peoria, IL

My 2011 Ford Escape providing a cool fall reflection
(almost looks like a mirrored image of some kind)...

Golden trees here reaching vertically
in the deep-blue sky...

A low sun-angle portrait-shot that allows an
orange tree to become a red tree...

This might be my favorite shot of this bunch!

A red maple (macro-lens)

Talk about a wide-assortment of colors...

My chase vehicle got a car wash and
is taking part in a photo-shoot...

Another interesting fall perspective here!

Beautiful colors yet again...

I guess I need a "shot" too right?

Fall colors galore!

Geese enjoying a swim (foreground)
with a fall reflection (background)...

The sun comes up here illuminating these fall colors...

Another rather cool fall portrait-shot!

Reds beginning to turn brown...

A rather stunning yellow maple!

More fall winding roads...

Another fall photo of the chase vehicle...

The fall scenes that come along can be quite a sight!

Early morning low sun-angle helping
this red maple "pop"...

More good stuff! (macro-lens)

I'm pretty good at car washes anymore! She doesn't look like
she has nearly 15,000 miles already...just sayin'

Another awesome fall view...(wide-angle)

A stellar portrait-shot! (macro-lens)

Cemetery's are always a good spot
to find some fall foliage

This hill actually provided a pretty cool photo-op!

Yellow maple (macro-lens)

Another wide-array of colors present here...

A red maple in this wooded-area...

What is around the bend?...

One of those shots you are instantly happy
with when you see it appear on your camera's LCD...

Cirrus clouds (above) trying to mimic the
Aurora Borealis about a week ago...

Another close-up fall photo...(macro-lens)

Yet another beautiful shot!

More and more fall colors...

This view would make me get up early and
walk/jog on a fall morning...

Another stunning yellow maple...(macro-lens)

Fall colors are present everywhere
you look in this cemetery...

Love this shot!

Another variety of colors!

Red maples providing an interesting
perspective shot...

That will end this post. Like I said I couldn't pass up a few more photo opportunities in the past few days to let some of the scenes above pass by. For the weather enthusiasts out there I'm keeping an eye on a storm system around next weekend that could be interesting for the Southern Plains and Midwest. The GFS model has been fairly consistent in developing a strong mid-latitude cyclone in that time frame. After that it looks like winter will soon be knockin' on the door in the Midwest...

10/21/11 Fall Foliage: 2011

Fall foliage peaking in Peoria, IL

Over the last few weeks I've captured an enormous amount of fall landscapes across west-central Illinois. Every year when I'm not chasing storms I'm usually doing some photography on my down-time when their is no extreme weather in the forecast. As in previous years I managed to venture out to many locations in Peoria, IL for some fall photography. I really do enjoy this season and winter as they get your "battery charged" for next spring. This year I shot many different fall photos and I'm quite happy with the results. It has been a year since I moved to Peoria, IL and this year I made a rather large effort to capture stunning fall photos in this area and the surrounding-area. Many of the photos shot are from the Peoria, IL-area. Some other fall destinations this year included: Kewanee, IL, Brimfield, IL, Jubilee College State Park, and Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park. Their were a few destinations I couldn't get to this fall, but there is always next year. Anyhow, I've posted an enormous amount of photos from my fall collection this year below:

Remember this location?! If not click here...

Got to love light/water droplets being refracted
and reflected...it's a recipe for a rainbow!

A stellar portrait-shot!

Beautiful yellow maple tree here...

A red maple under deep blue-skies in Brimfield, IL

Takin' a walk in the woods...

One of many fall reflections I captured in the last
few weeks in west-central Illinois...

Amazing yellow/gold colors here
reaching toward the heavens...

Jubilee College State Park outside Brimfield, IL

A cemetery with a fall reflection off U.S. 150 in Peoria, IL

Highway to fall!

This state park provided some fantastic
colors to say the least...

Another of several fall reflections in this post...

Almost looks like these leaves
are crawling up this tree

Glowing yellow colors at the
end of this fall scenic route!

A simply awesome early morning fall reflection!

And another...

A trail at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Park
outside Kewanee, IL

I shot this same photo last year and yet this year's
photo still provided a nice fall reflection...

Got to love winding roads through a park
while fall colors are peaking!

Portrait-shot of the fall reflection here...

The fall colors were just "patchy" on this day...

A leaf off a red maple (macro-lens)

The rainbow yet again...

Fantastic fall colors here mixed together!

Another insane fall reflection!

I used to call this the "big red-barn" as a child
and that's how I remembered it.

Some orange colors here!

Another dramatic fall reflection! (a great example what
the effect calm winds have for reflections
off bodies of water)

This equates to storm chasing in the "jungles" I think!

Beautiful colors here at this local cemetery!

Pretty cool assortment of colors changing...

Yellow maple (macro-lens)

Halloween orange I'd say!

Yellow colors all over here...

Look close and you will see a rainbow (left)...
Click to enlarge...

The woods alright!

Another cool perspective!

Colors all thrown together here...

Good stuff!

I got a little bit of exercise this fall to say the least!

Who doesn't like fall seriously?!

I shot several photos "under-the-lights" a couple
weeks ago at this exact location

You'll get interesting ideas while shooting photos...
here was one I had!

I like these kind of shots! That's one reason you
see me post a ton of them...

Crazy array of colors seen here!

An early morning shot here on
the west-side of Peoria, IL

This state park is a hot spot in the fall locally!

Everyday is a winding road!

Umm...yeah! Spectacular!

Fall leaf (macro-lens)

My Ford Escape needed a car wash
right here badly. Yikes!

Everybody wants a white picket fence right?!
Classic!

Scenes like these make you really embrace Mother Nature!

Seein' red?!

Bright orange with a deep-blue backdrop!

Another cool perspective on the drive to work!

More amazing fall colors!

Another interesting array of colors...

More fall foliage...

Yellow(s) and red(s) here.
Amazing what Mother Nature can do!

Colors were just starting to change here...

Fall is a transition season

Another dramatic fall-view!

More yellow(s)!

One of those shots in the moment
that just "turn-out"...

Fall foliage overlooking this river

The sun begins to set on a day of
fall photography for myself...

Reach for the sky!

I was using my GoPro on this day...
Stay tuned for that!

Interesting perspective!

Fall colors beginning to show here at this lake...

Colors beginning to change here.

A fall sunset casting a shadow on this corn field...

This tree showing "some" signs of life here...

Fall foliage in Kewanee, IL
 
Here's a video clip from my GoPro camera illustrating
the peaking fall foliage in the area (above)

That all but ends this post, but don't be surprised to see a Part II to this post. I hope you enjoyed my fall collection this year! It's always fun to share the places you travel and landscapes you see through photography on an annual basis. I'll be gearing up for the winter weather in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.