Leaves and Mist

Algonquin Park, Ontario. Another spectacular dawn in Algonquin Park. Coloured leaves and morning mist — what could be better?

That's what I wrote in my notes that morning, and it still captures the feeling. Everything had aligned: peak fall colour on the trees ringing the lake, mist rising from the water and catching the first warm light, stillness that turned the surface into a mirror. It was one of those mornings that remind you why you do this.

I'd arrived in darkness, set up, and waited. As the sky began to lighten, the mist appeared — first as wisps, then as thick bands drifting across the water. When the sun crested the ridge and hit that mist, the whole scene transformed. The grey became gold, the coloured leaves seemed to intensify, and I started shooting.

This frame captures the peak moment, when the mist was thickest and the light was warmest. The trees along the shore are partially obscured, their colours made more mysterious by the intervening fog. The reflection in the water doubles everything, creating a symmetry that feels complete.

Mornings like this are why I keep coming back to Algonquin in fall. They're not guaranteed — weather and timing have to cooperate — but when they happen, they exceed anything you could plan.

Limited edition Chromaluxe metal print. Ultra gloss finish to capture the luminous quality of the mist and the saturated fall colours.