Being a kid from Kansas, I grew up thinking the colors of fall consisted of yellow and brown. Oranges were rare, and reds practically unheard of. I was given the enviable assignment to document the foliage around Peoria a few weeks ago, a fun task under ideal conditions. But we were in a period of dreary darkness, with wind and rain the whole week. So I made the best of the flat lighting and I think it may have turned out better than if I had relied on the photographer’s crutch of warm, buttery sunlight.

You never realize the big bunches of leaves shading the land or the sound a breeze makes blowing through them until they’re gone. A grande finale for the outdoors, a sure sign to gather cans of soup and throws to keep warm by.

Shot in two days, with narration by naturalist John Mullen of Forest Park Nature Center, I present to you a Soundslide on fall.

update! My dad took umbrage at my Kansas slight, sending me these photos of trees in my former Wichita backyard. I’m impressed.