AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #9

Looking out the window and seeing the snow that came down last night makes me want to think about something different. This was already the fourth time this season and with temperatures forecasted at -15º C (5º F) for tonight, it is a save bet to say, winter has arrived. About a month ago, back in Itasca State Park, Minnesota, fall colors were at their best. Alright, let’s wallow a little bit with those colors for now…

AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #5

Lake Itasca, Minnesota

On our first evening, just before sunset, I watched this angler paddling to shore at the campsite of Itasca State Park. A little bit of rim light from behind made him standing out even in front of the darker background. A peaceful scene and an easy click at 200 mm focal length.

Ozawindib Lake, Itasca State Park, Minnesota

We brought our kayaks with us on top of the car but during the next two days we had some doubts if that was a good decision. Heavy winds during the day kept us on land. This photo was made at Ozawindib Lake, which is a lot smaller than Lake Itasca, and the whitecaps and blurred leaves tell the story about the weather. With or without boat, the fall colors were just stunning.

Lake Itasca

Finally during our third and last evening we were able to launch the kayaks at Lake Itasca and enjoyed the beautiful scenes from the perspective of a paddler. Our dog Cooper knows this game very well. He jumps into Joan’s boat before it is even in the water…

This time I took the 70-200, f/4 with me. This lens is a lot easier to handle in the kayak and better to protect from the wet elements than the Sigma 150-600.

AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #4

Mississippi River, only a few yards after the headwaters

Itasca State Park is the oldest state park in Minnesota, established 1891, and was created to protect the forest and waters around the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Its landscape was shaped by glaciers and it contains over 100 lakes and large tracks of Minnesota’s remaining old-growth red and white pine forest. It is a fantastic place to be in the fall, not just for photography.

Here is it where it all starts. The water from Lake Itasca flows over a simple rock barrier and the Mississippi River starts its 2,552 mile (4107 km) journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

The polarizing filter in front of the Nikkor 70-200 eliminates some of the glare on the water and led to a four second exposure at f/18. Enough to indicate the flow of the water with a silky look.

Stand of tamaracks, Lake Itasca, Minnesota

Itasca has beautiful red and white pines, spruce, fir, birch, aspen, maple, and others, but beside the colorful leaves one particular tree tells the story of fall the best. Larix laricina, better known as tamarack (German: Lärche), is a deciduous conifer. Its needles turn bright yellow in autumn and tell the story about the changing season. We found them at many locations in northern Minnesota during our trip. 

All three photos were made at or around the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Nikon D750, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm, f/4G ED VR, B+W F-PRO Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC filter

 

AUTUMN IN MINNESOTA #3

Fall colors, Itasca State Park, Minnesota

When you go in October to the Northwoods the colors of autumn will probably be on your mind. We definitely wanted to be amongst the leaves and suck up every drop of light pouring through them. Two ingredients, a wet spring and a cold snap, are necessary for a good fall color show. When we left Iowa it was very warm but we were hoping to find colors further north in Minnesota.

Already at our second camp, in Itasca State Park, we found what we were looking for. Fall is a great time at Lake Itasca, at the headwaters of the Mississippi River (more about this in a later post). We hit the peak, while later, further north, more trees had already lost their leaves. I hope you enjoy this photo and some more that will follow in the next time…