Autumn Impressions

Like when we are feeling a little tired and cold, and we look forward to going to sleep under a warm, cozy blanket: so I like to imagine trees in the fall. The skilled brush of God paints their leaves when the first chill starts filling the air, and they wear their wonderful coat to get ready for the well-deserved rest. Colors and reflections become magical and they are pure joy for the eyes and the soul.

I am so excited when the season turns and Nature presents us such wonderful beauty, and I can't refrain myself from going out and trying to capture as much as I can with my camera. Framing what your eyes see and what your brain perceives it's not as easy as it seems, and often the shot can't make it. But the beauty of Nature in the fall is so amazing, that it's difficult not to catch at least a glimpse of it in your photographs.

Here are some autumn impressions, taken last and this year.

              EOS 40D – Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS USM@17mm f/10.0 1/200 sec ISO 640

                        EOS 40D – Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM@40mm f/10.0 1/200 sec ISO 640

              EOS 40D – Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS USM@22mm f/9.0 1/160 sec ISO 640

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM@220mm f/5.0 1/100 sec ISO 800

              EOS 40D – Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L IS USM@40mm f/9.0 1/250 sec ISO 640

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM@93mm f/5.6 1/160 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM@300mm f/5.6 1/320 sec ISO 800

              EOS 5D Mark III – EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM@105mm f/9.0 1/500 sec ISO 320

              EOS 40D – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM@400mm f/8.0 1/500 sec ISO 640

                        EOS 40D – Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM@26mm f/10.0 1/200 sec ISO 640

                        EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L USM@58mm f/10.0 30 secs ISO 160

A Day at the "Oasi"

Despite we live only 20 minutes away from this natural preserve area, we just visited it a couple of times so far, but I think I'll try and go there more often in the upcoming weeks to take more photographs.

A previously private shooting ground, "Il Bosco WWF di Vanzago" was later donated to the Italian branch of The World Wildlife Fund, and it's now their largest "oasi" in the country. The habitat is the specific one of the Po Valley, with broad-leaved woods, some open areas and two main lakes.

                                      EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @24mm
                                      f/9.0 1/160 sec ISO 200

I still remember when my Dad enrolled me as a member of the WWF, when I was little: I felt so proud when I received my membership card and I felt the commitment of working for the protection of wildlife and plants as well as for the preservation of energy. I was proudly wearing a WWF arm badge on my sweater and going to lectures and events organized by the association. I relived that and had a nice feeling, when last Sunday I enrolled my two little nieces and they got their membership cards for the first time.

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @200mm f/5.0 1/200 sec ISO 320

It was a special day, when some of the animals cured at CRAS (the special structure which takes care of wounded or sick wild animals) were released again in the wild. We spent a few hours visiting the area, and we had the opportunity to see mammals, birds and other critters and plants, and the girls enjoyed one of the cutest and most common animals of this habitat, the hedgehog, very close.

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/100 sec ISO 320
              Macrolepiota procera

In the end we were all a little tired, but also happy and satisfied, for the great time we spent admiring this beautiful natural area and the animals which live there.

Scroll down to see some of the shots taken during the day: I hope you'll enjoy them!

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/6.3 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/10 1/800 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/10 1/1000 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/9.0 1/640 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

                                      EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @340mm
                                      f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 320
                                     American pokeweed

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/6.3 1/400 sec ISO 320
              Dragonfly

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @105mm f/5.0 1/200 sec ISO 200
              Praying mantis

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @70mm f/5.0 1/100 sec ISO 200