No Fog, No Mississippi River

When I went to bed last night there was a beautiful (if you are a photographer) layer of fog enveloping the landscape. In my mind I was envisioning a variety of fog-based images recorded in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. When I woke reality struck…the fog was gone. With no fog I could see no reason to drive almost two hours for the same type of pictures I could make much closer to home.   

As the sun worked its way up the sky, mostly blocked by a heavy layer of clouds, I was on the water on the Wapsipinicon River, in my canoe. Today’s outing was not one of high speed or high mileage. Instead I was out on the water for one simple reason – to immerse myself in the beauty that is the Wapsipinicon River in autumn.       

For years I have thought it would be great to be on the water that one day, when the colors of the leaves are at their peak…that day before rain and wind erase the vegetative growth of a warm season and leave only the skeletons of trees to look at for a half a year. I may be wrong, but it is possible today was that day of peak beauty – at least before the wind started up. Folks, it was pretty on the water. There were so many stunning compositions – from wider landscape images to intimate macros of autumn on the Wapsie.

I was lucky…I was in the middle of it. Then the wind started blowing and the color started falling….

When you look at the pictures, study the bird photo. Can you identify what is happening?