Autumn outings

Without doubt, autumn is my favourite season for photography, as I am so easily drawn to the colours and textures this time of year brings.

The autumnal change has seemed somewhat slower this year but two recent storms have made me want to get out more before the trees have been made bare of their coloured cloaks by incessant winds.

Having earned a bonus Friday off, a first visit to the Avon dam in South Brent was on the cards, my last trip was over three years ago, so this was an overdue appointment.

The walk to the dam from the car park is just over two miles, the road only really used by environment agency vehicles to access the water works, so makes for a quiet and enjoyable walk up to the dam and reservoir.

With the river in healthy flow after some heavy rain, it is more of a roar than a whisper, with trees either side of the river, it makes for the perfect autumnal composition of fallen leaves, sat like glitter on the verdant lichen coating the rocks above the water surface.

While I seized this first opportunity to capture the beauty of autumn, there would be plenty more on the route to the dam but I took the time to stop and marvel at this annual natural show of colour.

At just over half way up, the view becomes more open and rugged, here the skies are changing to a more rain filled colour of grey, and the sunlight escapes through the few gaps to fill the landscape with a gentle light that contrasts against the brown of the bracken.

At the dam itself, the wind is at its strongest, the reservoir water is a dark blue tipped with the white of the waves as they scud across the surface.

I take time to enjoy the view here, it may be another three years before I return, only when the rain begins do I decide to walk back to the car park where a cuppa and a light snack awaits.

One personal rule that I try to make a habit of, is to look back at where I have been, on this occasion the rule is justified by one of my favourite shots of the day…

I must have taken thirty or so shots of this scene as it unfolded but who doesn’t like taking photos of rainbows?