Autumn in Indianapolis on Fujifilm Velvia 50

Red tree parking lot

Time was, I couldn’t enjoy autumn. I always looked past it straight to winter, which I hate: the cold and snow, the staying indoors, the heavy clothes and coats. But then a few years ago an autumn of astonishing color yanked me from my gathering funk, and since then I’ve looked for autumn’s color, frequently with a camera in hand. My camera has helped me appreciate so many things, and autumn stands at the front of the line.

I’ve often felt that my cameras never captured the full autumn color experience. The closest any camera came was the autumn day I walked through Holliday Park with my old Kodak Z730 digital camera — that old digicam gets wonderful color.

But this year, I had a new arrow in my quiver: Fujifilm Velvia 50, a slide film known for heavily saturated color. I put some in my Nikon F2 and, over several days, photographed as much autumn color as I could. And boy howdy, did I get some strong color back. Unrealistic color. The kind of color we all wish autumn could deliver.

Fortunately, I’m not opposed to such fantasy. Through Thursday this week, I’ll share Velvia photos from my October camera walks. All of this color will counterbalance the black story I need to tell on Friday.

Red and orange

For most of 17 years I’ve lived around the corner from a large cemetery. The trees in its parking lot were probably deliberately chosen for the intense color they deliver come fall.

Red and path

This was the first time I entered the cemetery to photograph anything. I never think about exploring this cemetery because long ago it became something I fail to notice. That happens to things you drive by every day. I only notice these trees because they are near the street.


Comments

18 responses to “Autumn in Indianapolis on Fujifilm Velvia 50”

  1. davidvanilla Avatar

    Gorgeous colors, nicely preserved! (How’d you get those trees to pose like that?)

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Why, those trees just stand around like that hoping someone with a camera comes along!

  2. Shirley Avatar
    Shirley

    Very beautiful, thanks for sharing!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thank you!

  3. pesoto74 Avatar

    I like all of these particularly the last one. It has such a classic slide film look. I too am not opposed to adding some wish-fulness to photos. I think it can make them more personal than just a literal capturing of what is before our eyes.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thanks! Yes, the last one does carry that classic slide look best. I used to be dedicated to realism in my photos but I can see that no photo is ever truly realistic, as it is just the photographer’s perspective on a scene.

  4. bodegabayf2 Avatar

    Velvia is photography’s Crayon box!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      It’s psychedelic crayon box, to be sure.

  5. Carole Grey Avatar
    Carole Grey

    Perfect timing of full tree color. Well done. Your photos are the fall I know and love…just drop dead gorgeous! Tx

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      There are three more days of such photos to come here!

      1. Joe shoots resurrected cameras Avatar
  6. Lignum Draco Avatar

    Fantastic colours. Sadly, there are mostly evergreens in my area.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      We are definitely blessed by color here in Indiana in the autumn!

  7. Dani Avatar
    Dani

    The flaming red and gold leaves are my favorite.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Almost hurt to look at, don’t they!

      1. Dani Avatar
        Dani

        Breath-taking.

  8. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    Jim, I’m disappointed in you ! You “looked past autumn” ???? Its probably the best time of the year….I found myself in awe the last several weeks.

    Oh yeah, my grandfather bought a new ’74 dodge dart …I believe he paid $4500 for it. That sound about right ?

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Oh, I’m more of a spring/summer person. Autumn always meant returning to school and that winter would soon be here, and I hate winter!

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