If it were not for a nearby sign marking this as the beginning of the Beverly Shores trail system, you would not think you were leaving the main Dune Ridge trail. These trails are well maintained and every bit as beautiful as the National Park trails. I really like the contrast between the dark color of the Black Oak trees in this area with the bright and colorful fall foliage. Their trunks and branches lend a sense of structure to the scene.

Thorough out much of the year, bracket fungi like these tend to be very muted in their coloration. But the cooler temps and moisture of Autumn bring out their best. The banding is clearly defined and leading edge is a lovely rust orange. The bands on these fungi are similar to the rings of a tree as they are related to their growth cycle.

Tis the season for Lichen! As with Fungi, Lichens really respond to the changing weather conditions of Autumn. Looking at them close up it is as if they were an entire forest ecosystem in miniature.

Since this land has been reclaimed from residential use and the trails follow old road beds, you sometimes come across trees and flowers which were planted around peoples homes. This little cluster of White Pine trees is one such case. White Pine is not native to this area and they are right at an intersection where a home would have once stood. Even though it is not native, it’s solid blue-green needles provide the perfect compliment to the predominant yellow-orange-red palette.

All along the Beverly Shores trail the forest canopy was solid yellow-gold, given structure by the dark intertwining branches of the Black Oak trees. I choose to photograph this particular patch because I really liked how the branches break up the scene into smaller patches of color, surprisingly similar to the patterns you see when viewing a single leaf up close. The way that nature repeats itself over many different objects and at many different size scales is part of the beauty which draws me to spend so much time outdoors.

In many ways the bright and saturated colors of the leaves are the stars of the show when it comes to the fall colors that draw so many people. While I very much appreciate and enjoy those colors, I find myself drawn to the more subtle, but no less beautiful colorations of the fallen leaves, fungi, lichens and decaying wood which comprise the forest floor. The rich hues and gradations between colors reward more careful and contemplative examination.

While passing through such detail rich areas, so full of plants, vines, bushes, trees, leaves, etc. I have learned to see the scenes around me in terms of planes. Horizontal planes such as the ground beneath my feet or the forest canopy above, and vertical plans such as the one formed by these drooping pine boughs. By photographing them head on, all of the boughs fell into a sharply defined plane which visually separates them from the multitude of other details in the surrounding foliage. Setting my camera lens to a fast aperture created a narrow depth of focus which also helps them to stand out visually.

As I reached the end of the Beverly Shores trail this tree, sporting all the fall colors ranging from green to red, stood as a sentinel at the edge of the marsh which would comprise the third leg of the days hike.