On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
This series was created by Alain Chamot (1971-2020).
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
I was planning on taking a trip up north of Bishop(northern end of Owens Valley) to see the fall colors this year. Due mainly to the fires here in California this year, I would have ended up with fall colors and brown skies. By the time the smoke had cleared it was too late for fall color that far north. My fellow photographer Hami asked if I wanted to go to Big Bear since there may still be fall color up there, and then canceled. I decided I’d check out Arroyo Seco north of the Rose Bowl. A few hours before I was to leave Hami messaged me asking what I was planning to do that day, I said, hike up Arroyo Seco to shoot some fall color. He wanted to go so we met at the parking lot overlooking JPL.
Processing note: I had to exposure bracket most of these shots since the sky was very bright and the canyon was pretty dark by comparison. I used the new “Pro Panel” to assist with the exposure blending process between light and dark exposures(light for the canyon, dark for the sky).
On the slight incline down to the arroyo from the parking lot, we came past this tree that seemed to be dead and made a nice subject under the moon. As the view of the full tree came into view, its base was still alive.
Arroyo Seco, Pasadena, CA
A little of the fall color and the Moon. Most of the fall color was courtesy of the sycamore trees(and a bit by poison oak), the white alder close to the stream do lose their foliage but the leaves don’t turn color.
We hiked down to the streambed(mainly dry at this point due to being downstream of where the City of Pasadena diverts the water) to find his old stone retaining wall from the time when cabins lined the arroyo.
A grove of colorful sycamore.
Some more sycamore along the arroyo. I tried to get the sky to work this shot, but ended up doing a sky replacement.
The trail lined by white alder.
Looking down the arroyo lined by white alder. This was the first crossing that didn’t have a bridge and as far as I got. Hami decided to stop by the bridge at the previous crossing.
Baud
I wish I were there instead of here.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: It’s a pleasant little walk.
UncleEbeneezer
Bill, have you done the Brown Mountain Trail? It’s just up the hill (starts up in the Altadena “Meadows”) and a nice little hike in the San Gabriels with some killer views. It’s a great alternative to some of the more popular hikes in the area. When we did it pre-Covid, we rarely saw more than 5-10 people through the entire time.
Yutsano
Am I the only one reminded of old TOS sets here? California is good for pretty views.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@UncleEbeneezer: I’ve not hiked the Brown Mountain trail, I have hiked Mt. Lowe a few times and the view is incredible on a clear day. I could see all the way to Palomar Mountain, about 90 miles. IIRC Owen Brown’s gravesite is close to the beginning of the Brown Mountain hike. Owen Brown was one of the “Brown Boys” as they were known in late 19th century Pasadena and was one of John Brown’s sons. Brown Mountain is named(by his sons) for John Brown, the abolitionist.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@Yutsano: The best views can be had a bit higher, there are some pretty grand vistas.
UncleEbeneezer
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: Yes, the Owen Brown gravesite is a neat little side hike (only adds a couple hundred yards) from the main hike. If you like Mt. Lowe (especially the Sunset Ridge option) you would love Brown. And it’s even less crowded (and WAY LESS CROWDED than Echo Mt.).
Sunset Ridge up to Cape of Good Hope then back down via the fire-road, is probably our favorite, go-to hike. Such incredible views and a hell of a workout on the legs.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@UncleEbeneezer: No, not Sunset Ridge to the trail camp, Mt. Lowe from Eaton Saddle along the Mt. Wilson road. I’ve also hiked the Tom Slone trail with the kid to the Mt. Lowe trail camp and Inspiration Point. I’ll take a look at Brown Mountain.
J R in WV
Nice fall country snapshots, very nice. Thanks!
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) has a color tool (that’s where all the exposure tools hide) that allows you to separately tune shadows and highlights to compensate for bright and dim parts. It appears to work really well, and may be simpler than shooting two separate exposures. I can brighten the dark parts and darken the bright parts, click on and off preview to see if it’s better yet, etc.
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@J R in WV: Photoshop has a similar tool, but you need the dynamic range out of camera to do that. If it’s too dark to capture the highlights you end up with too much noise in the shadows. If you bracket and exposure blend, you avoid that problem.