The changing of the leaves is an annual event that heralds the transition of summer to fall. The leaves' falling after changing colors marks the beginning of winter. The fall foliage acts as a marker of seasonal transition and, for many people, the start of a new year. While historically and metaphorically, fall is associated with the approach of death (winter), for many families this is when the frivolity of summer is over and the new school year starts. Additionally, many companies work on rotating vacation schedules during the summer, so the fall is usually a time of renewal and new initiatives for companies. In this way, fall foliage to the modern person no longer signifies death but a new and exciting start.
Fall foliage involves a chemical reaction in the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs. The chlorophyll that is necessary for growth and creates the green color in leaves is slowly used throughout the summer and by the fall, it has been entirely consumed by the plant. This slowly retracts the green color and leaves the actual color of the leaf in its stead, be it red, gold or a combination of the two.
Depending on location and seasonal changes, fall foliage may appear as early as late August, but traditionally it begins to show up in late September and the leaves have fallen by the beginning of December.
The most vivid and spectacular displays in North America appear in the northern Midwest region of the United States. Such arrays also appear in Canada, Scandinavia and the northern parts of Europe, Russia, China, Japan and Korea. All of these places become major tourist attractions during the winter months, for activities as basic as driving national highways.
While this is an excellent time of year for traveling and experiencing new places (or seeing the places around you with different eyes) it is a great time of year for amateur photographers to take breathtaking shots. Because the colors are so vivid and the scene stays virtually still, amazing shots can be rendered with very little skill. Winter scenes, for example, are difficult to shoot because the general achromatic scenery renders no contrast or depth.
