The Spectacular Beauty of Autumn — and Death — in Photos

When you need to make a change, look at the trees.

I don’t take a lot of photos. I love looking at other people’s work, but I don’t think I’m a bad amateur photographer, either. I simply don’t think about taking pictures very often. I miss many photo opportunities that are right in front of me.

Well, I decided to go for a little stroll, and I looked for scenes that have eluded my gaze thus far. Fall, of course, is a perfect season for photography, so I don’t want this one to pass me by without putting forth some effort to capture its essence.

The Beauty of Death

Many people gaze in awe at the vibrant colors of Autumn. The leaves and trees seem to come alive with new hues. Yet, these colors signify the complete opposite — death.

This isn’t a negative occurrence, though. Sometimes we need to die to ourselves. In order to become more enlightened, we must release that which brings us down.

The trees let go of their dead parts, which no longer fill them with life and nourishment. Their leaves fall off, and the trees stand bare and vulnerable as they contemplate their next stage of life.

The leaves litter the ground and as footsteps crackle and crunch, the sounds echo what once was. In time, death turns to decay and becomes only a memory.

After a sufficient amount of time, the trees begin to grow again, forming new leaves that bring forth life and love. Then, they produce the fruit that shows the progress they’ve made.

The trees become new, joyful, and alive.

Pictures of Autumn

On November 4, Chelsea Marie highlighted and clapped for one of my stories. I had never interacted with her before, so I went to her page (as I often do when someone follows me or engages with me somehow). I read her latest “Non-fiction Writing Prompt,” which you can find here:

Non-Fiction Writing Prompts — Week Forty-Five Writing prompts for November 5th to 11th medium.com

Prompt #2 is: “Go for a nature walk and share photos and information on how autumn shows itself in your town.”

I’d already gone for a walk and taken the pictures so all that was left was to share them with you. Thank you for the prompt, Chelsea. I’m not on the level of great photographers like Bridgette, but I hope you enjoy these anyway.

Here are my contributions (including the one at the top).

Sometimes I’m grateful for death. Are you? Do you have dead leaves that you need to release? Are you ready for a new season in your life?

Sometimes our fruits — our talents — go unnoticed, unused, and unappreciated. They shrivel and die, and we wonder if we should give up.

Shake off the dead, let it crumble at your feet, and become a new person, brimming with life and love.

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*Originally published on November 6, 2023, in Soul Magazine on Medium.

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