Field Notes:The Last Hints of Color
Pixel and I walked the East Lake Sammamish Parkway trail today to catch the last bit of fall color before it disappears completely. I brought the Sony A7CR paired with the 90mm macro lens — a combo I’ve really come to love for the way it compresses the scene and lets me isolate small details.
Because I’ve walked this trail more times than I can count, I had a good idea of where the color might still be hanging on. But even with that plan, I tried to stay open to whatever caught my eye. After a few minutes, I decided to play with motion — something I don’t often do. I lowered my ISO, stopped down the aperture, and slowed the shutter to see what kind of movement I could capture.
First, I focused on the trees and let the wind do the rest — leaves blurring softly against the sharp lines of the trunks. Then, as someone walked by, I focused on the fence and let them blur past. Later, a swirl of leaves caught my attention, so I followed them, trying to capture the feeling of the moment more than the perfect frame. All handheld. I don’t have a tripod right now, so I braced myself against the fence when I could — though Pixel had her own ideas and occasionally pulled me off balance.
It was a slower walk than usual, but I think she enjoyed it just the same. I chatted briefly with a biker who mentioned how incredible this stretch looks when there’s fog. That’s something I’ll definitely have to come back for.
These are the kinds of walks I love most — when there’s no rush, no checklist, just a camera, some color, and a curious dog leading the way.
