Early Fall Colors at McConnells Mill State Park, October 2013

I took the opportunity to visit McConnells Mill State Park in early October 2013, and though I was a bit early for the best of the colors, I was nonetheless treated with some spectacular scenery.

Knowing that morning light could often lend to more interesting and attractive photos, I went out early and caught some great reflection images in the water near the fall at the Mill.

Some of the shots that I most enjoyed were those that showed interesting reflections of the foliage surrounding creek. This first shot was rendered by my iPhone 4S and is one of my favorites, especially seeing how the reflections bent and twisted as they were displayed just above the falls.

At the falls, McConnells Mill State Park, October 6, 2013 [iPhone 4S]

I took some similar shots with my Nikon D40X.

At the falls, McConnells Mill State Park, October 6, 2013 [Nikon D40X, Lens 18-200 VR]

At the falls, McConnells Mill State Park, October 6, 2013 [Nikon D40X, Lens 18-200 VR]

Another of my favorites was a shot that I took that included the reflection only, which appears to be an altered photo, but in reality it is a simple zoomed-in view of the reflection.

At the falls, McConnells Mill State Park, October 6, 2013 [Nikon D40X, Lens 18-200 VR]

If you examine these photos and the larger selection displayed in the "Fall" tab on the Web site, you will see that the sun had almost extended to the base of the hill on the opposite side of the creek. If I had arrived too late, the sun would have already started to display in the water and the reflected foliage would not be as clear. The first day that I went I was far too early, arriving just an hour after sun rise. As it turns out, in early October, the best time to take photos like this is between about 9:15 am and 10:00 am. On the two days that I took the shots, 10 am was the time when the colors and reflection was at the peak, just after 10 am the sun started to shine in the water and the reflection was washed out.

Off course if you arrive too early, the sun is not displaying adequately on the foliage and you will not see any reflection. Depending on the exact day that you go, the best time to capture a reflection photo will vary. My photos were taken October 6th and 7th. Looking at sunrise and sunset times for October here, in nearby Pittsburgh, you can adjust your times accordingly. With the sun angle changing throughout the year, I am sure that you will need to experiment a bit if you are looking to shoot similar photos. The chart shows that from October 1st to October 31st there is a 32 minute difference in sunrise times.

I also just got myself a polarizing filter which might have helped remove some of the glare in the photos. I am learning something new every day. Enjoy your trip to McConnells Mill State Park!