Fall Colors Assignment Winner Kevin Russell

Congratulations to Kevin Russell for winning the recent Fall Colors Assignment with his image, “Fall on the Wenatchee.”

“I live in western Washington and stormy weather was hitting us hard,” says Russell. “I was itching to get out and catch some fall colors before the storm blew them away. I looked at some forecasts and saw a window of opportunity on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, so I planned a two-day trip. The first day I woke up early and headed for the North Cascades to catch the last of the larches before they dropped their needles, but as I arrived at the trailhead I was greeted with a couple inches of fresh snow. I spent the day taking wintery images and then headed for Leavenworth with plans to shoot the Wenatchee River in the morning, hoping that the rain would hold off just a little longer. I woke up to partly cloudy skies and headed out of town on Highway 2 to stop at a few places and shoot along the river. Fall colors were nearing peak as I drove into the canyon. The first spot I stopped along the river, just outside of Leavenworth, is where I caught this image. I used a 6 stop ND filter so that I could use a slow shutter for smooth water flows. I took a few similar images from this spot as the dark clouds started to roll in, this one being my favorite out of the bunch. After catching this image I made a few more stop along the river and the rain started to fall so I headed for home. It was an interesting drive home in pouring rain and howling wind, but it was well worth the trip over for a little adventure!”

To see more of Kevin Russell’s photography, visit www.krbackwoodsphotography.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.