The fall leaves seem to be dropping from the trees so fast this year. Quickly shifting through shades of color. Brown leaves drop. Scattering on the ground. Blowing down the road.

I love fall foliage and I feel like I have missed almost all of it already. I really wanted to get outside and hike in it and photograph the fall leaves. On Friday after work I headed up to Ithaca to visit one of our beautiful state parks.

I wanted to go to Buttermilk Falls because pairing fall foliage with flower water is something I love. I was hoping to not only find beautifully colored leaves on the trees but catch some of those vibrant colors reflecting in the waters. The only real stunning fall colors were on the large tree at the base of the falls as you enter the park. Beautiful reflections in the pool of water.

I could not believe how low the water was in the gorge today. I am not sure I have ever seen it this low. Combine the low water with most of the leaves already being off the trees and I was thinking I might be disappointed in this trip.

But one thing about nature photography is that different conditions reveal new aspects of nature. The low water levels revealed different parts of the stone that makes up the gorge. Usually a lot of the stone is hidden below the surface of the water.

The lack of water also allowed the fallen leaves to remain in the gorge. The leaves covered large swaths of the rocky formations that form the park.

I also love finding parts of the water where leaves have been caught in the current and stuck. A cluster of leaves hung up in an eddy of water. The leaves move and swirl.

To me these swirling leaves are a beautiful thing. I love to use my camera with a slow shutter speed to photograph these leaves as they move. The leaves create a swirl of motion and color as they dance on the surface of the water.

What are your favorite things about fall?

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