Gray Day on Rollins Pond

2023 hasn't been a great year for fall foliage in the NH Lakes Region. Many trees were negatively impacted by the late-season frost we had in the spring as the new leaves were opening. Then, all the rain and a fungus problem. Before the foliage started to turn this fall, many trees in the area had already dropped 40% of their leaves. Despite all that, we are seeing some vivid colors starting to pop in the leaves that are still hanging on.

This past Sunday we had to make a run into Concord for supplies. It was a gray day with periods of sporadic sprinkles of rain all day. On our trip home I stopped by Rollins Pond, one of my favorite foliage locations. The colors across the pond seldom disappoint. I wish I had taken more time to shoot this image properly, but I was squatting in the middle of the road on a corner with limited visibility for the oncoming traffic and I felt it more prudent to hit and run with this shot.

This image was built from two exposures taken with a full two stops between them. One was to capture the moody sky, the other for the balance of the image. They were blended in PhotoShop and tonal adjustments were made.

In its native size this is a 27”x 18” image (3:2 aspect ratio) at 300ppi.