It is said that the autumn of our life is a slow and steady slip into winter, synonymous with the time when animals hibernate and plants die. Some might think of it as more of a homesickness, not a geographical homesickness, but a chronological one—a time for reflection, for looking back at what was. Autumn is a matter of perspective—of seeing our current time as just that, current.
This is what I know: As the earth revolves day in and day out, around the great polestar, fixed, immovable, I take my bearing on the here and now, then look forward, past autumn and beyond winter.
The autumnal equinox is no downward tumble to the solstice, rather, a momentary teetering and tipping then continuing its course. Never stopping. Never starting. Eternal revolutions are not acts of death, but renewal—making new again. And again.
“Making new” is a revising, a re-visioning. Unmasking to see what is hidden. Chlorophyl recedes. True colors emerge. A divergence where chromas eventually succumbs to chronos.
Leaves fall, piling their detritus to loam the seeds against the cold. Where they wait, while the colors flame out like so many ashes, and turn to duff—the bedding ground for spring’s genesis. Red as embers, producing oxygen that feeds a fire or fuels a cutthroat (its crimson gill plates squeezing out every element). Its fire warms me while fishing through the season. These leaves, this color, sustains.
To see, really see the enigma autumn holds, one must stand as still as Polaris and look, facing against the current like the trout:
the current of time that turns the leaves,
and leaves one turned against the current.
Perspective.
I also have a gallery of many of these photos but in much more “subdued” colors. It can be found here.
A really lovely essay Scott, beautifully written.
Eccles, Thanks for taking the time to read and leaving a nice response.
I second that.
Very well written. solemn and reflective. The words speak of autumn, and the colors dance forth making the passage of time and endless renewal.
Thank you for this excellent essay, and for your site, which continues to be one of the best out there!
Erik
Erik,
Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad you survived the steelheading trip.
Beautiful pictures and thoughtful words. I still need to wallow a little in my nostalgia for things past before I can look forward though.
However, I really like the idea that “The autumnal equinox is no downward tumble to the solstice, rather, a momentary teetering and tipping then continuing its course”. And also “Unmasking to see what is hidden. Chlorophyl recedes. True colors emerge.” I’ll keep my eyes open for the true colors.
Anthony,
Thanks for the comment! Actually, I’m very nostalgia-minded. In fact, most of the writing I enjoy working on most is when I’m in a nostalgia-type mood. But I like projecting that feeling forward (if that makes sense–trying to recapture the mood of the past moment and put it into the present moment and shoot for it in the future moments). I’m not sure it always works, but I pretend it does
.
Nice photos Scott. I believe that’s Robert’s Hopper in the lip of a nice Cutty.
Thanks Doug. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you–that is indeed one of Robert’s twisted foam hopper. A week after we fished together, I went just north of the Utah/Idaho border and had a great day with Robert’s flies.
Some nice shots Scott. I like the subdued look you are getting. They look more natural than some of the overprocessed shots I see elsewhere.
Hi Harry! Long time no talk to (I was beginning to worry about you). I’m glad you’re liking the shots. The one shot with the rock taking up the left half of the screen is with the HDR tone-mapping stuff you see going around quite a bit. That usually has some more-saturated looks to it. I wanted to keep the colors as strong as possible in relation to what I really saw, but not overbearing. It was hard striking the balance. I actually post-processed the entire batch with a very washed-out look, which I really liked. But I know most people like the stronger colors. Maybe I’ll put the others on my Flickr account and see what you think.
I’m still out here, just been really busy with work and family. Haven’t been posting many comments lately, just checking in with my fav sites to see what is happening.
wow nice shots…. and way to wax philosophical.
Hey Kevin! Yeah, lots of wax–wax on, wax off! So, any “tubby” fishing yet–you know, those “tubby” fish at the, um, one place?
Well….. I went up last weekend and saw some big fish but didn’t land any. Trying again tomorrow. After that it will be probably a week + 1/2 before I go up again.
When is your next day off?
Not until Oct. 22. Then I could get any day from then until Thanksgiving off (not Halloween day though). Let me know if it’s worth my time and I’ll make a way possible.
Beautiful once again Scott. Glad to see you out and about in your stunning fall paradise.
Thanks Sam! Do you get much color there in Laramie? I’d think you must get a little something. Have you been getting any of these storms in the past week or so? We picked up some precip (including snow) last weekend, but just clouds so far this week.
Beautiful… glad to know I’m not the only one that gets nostalgic and reflective at the changing of the seasons… strange how something so predictable and cyclic can stir the emotions in very unexpected ways. Looks like a beautiful creek and nice fish. I really like the macro shot of the leaf too.
cheers
Nice way of putting that Anthony, “…strange how something so predictable and cyclic can stir the emotions in very unexpected ways.” So true. You’d think after so many years I’d just become immune to it. I guess that’s one of the nice things about the season being so brief–there’s not enough time to really get sick of the color. I know up above you in Truckee/Tahoe there’s color, but do you get anything down there in Reno?
Great photos!
We did have some nice color the last few weeks. Out on the foothills near centennial it starts to show up. Tonight the storm is hammering away at us with the snow flying. I think this is the start of a couple days of snow. Tomorrow is homecoming but not sure the roads into town are going to be open. We shall see.
Scott – beautiful pictures and some thought-provoking prose, as usual! We’re at peak here in upstate new york, and the color really does make one cherish the seasons – all the good they bring, each in their own way.
Hope you’re getting out and enjoying some fishing.
Tight lines…
Hi Bob! One of these days…The northeast in autumn is on my bucket list. Phantasmagoria for the color lover, I’m sure!
I’m possibly getting out today for a little fishing (either that or some photography–luckily I get joy out of doing both). Taking the kids to see our university’s hockey team play tonight, so all other plans are revolving around that. Looks like some icky weather might be heading your way. Enjoy the little snippets of good while you can.
Great writing and some great photos! I really like the close-up of the fish and the fly.
Where I live in upstate NY the weather has been atrocious – cold and rainy almost every day for three weeks. I’d like a nice bright crisp fall day to get the motorcycle out and take a tour through the hills before snow flys, but it isn’t looking good – more rain on the way this week.
MDW
FR,
I don’t know if you saw my last post with the four b&w shots, but knowing you, those might be a little more up your alley.
I probably took my last motorcycle ride a couple of weeks ago on a little fishing trip into Idaho. It was a great ride. I’m hoping it warms up in the next day or two so I can take my wife on a ride to see the colors before they’re completely gone, but that’s looking doubtful. I will continue riding to work as long as it’s above 20 degrees F and no chance of precip when I leave at 5:30 AM. It’s been in the upper 20′s a couple of times so far this week when I’ve ridden in, but I expect I’ll get almost another month before I put her away fro the winter.
WOW!!! That’s more like it! Are those all from the same trip? I guess I was too busy looking at the water and not looking up more… kinda like a trout who is focused on nymph larvae and not looking up at the terrestrials. Always like the trout who are ambitious enough to look up. Thanks for including the driver in the photo display. Could you zoom in on that shot and zap me a copy? Need to get out again before everything goes monochrome on us. I am excited about the Flickr site too.
TB,
Nope, only the fish/ing pictures were from the Cub River. The rest were taken up along Beaver Creek. I posted my “subdued” photos on this site under the “Photos” link in the top right corner in the “Personal Photo Gallery” (http://scarles.org/blog/photo-albums/personal-photo-album/) The Flickr site will rarely have fishing pictures. I’ll send you the whole photo and you can crop to your hearts content.
amazing pics scott!
Thanks for dropping in Mike!
Just looking at the photos again…didn’t really notice the waterfall the first time…way cool. Did you do something extra to the picture to produce that photo? It’s really amazing…looks like a classic painting.
Dan,
Nothing “special,” but you’re probably noticing the softness, especially of the water (that milky look). Setting the aperture smaller (higher f-stop, I think it was a f22) means less light gets to the sensor. That means the shutter that lets light through the lens was really tiny. Since less light is getting to the sensor, the shutter had to stay open longer to let enough light in to make a picture (if the shutter opened and closed really quick, it would be a black picture). Since the shutter was open longer, any motion going on gets blurred. This is how you make it milky.
You can actually do this with many point and shoot cameras too, you just need it on a tripod and set the camera to the right setting instead of auto.
You never thought you’d get a photo lesson, did you?
I actually took about 20 shots like that at Zions.
Yes! Twisted Hopper a success! I’ve been twisted emotionally for about three months now, but that fly was named a few years ago. beautiful thoughts and shots. Hey, I think I just coined the title for your up coming book: “Thoughts and Shots.”
I was in Cache Valley Saturday afternoon. No fishing. Visiting with a friend who lives in Colorado, but lived in Mendon. His brother still lives there so we met at his house for the visit. You know his brother, so we get to claim “small world” again. As you come inot Mendon from the upper road out of Wellsville, the house is the first white one that sits on the hill to the left. Anyway, I thought about sneaking over and saying hi, but had my sister and bro-in-law with me.
Robert,
Thoughts and Shots, yeah, I like it! Upcoming Book? Seems someone forgot to tell me!
Brother-in-law, sister, heck, doesn’t matter to me–bring ‘em all next time (no dogs–we’ve got cats).
Thoughts and Shots
-by Rep S. Emerson Carles
I like it…a lot!
Just wanted to let you know that another person is not forgetting to tell you.
See you Friday for the photography lessons!
lovely. Jealous. We’ve got snow on unfallen leaves.
Dave
Dave,
We had a brief snow, but for the last two weeks our storms are back to rain. The wind and hard rain are knocking a bunch of leaves off trees, but they are still green here in the valley. It’s kind of weird.