Some people chase storms. In the Maritimes right now photographers, videographers and drone pilots are chasing the fall colours.
In places like Cape Breton, the vibrancy of the season is on full display in the leaves. Reds wrapped in green. Golds that glow. Oranges to punctuate a canopy of colour.
“The trees here are just super yellow. I’ve never seen them so bright,” said Josh Lohnes, a cinematographer and owner of AnchorVIewMedia, who draws inspiration from the fall colours.
With a kaleidoscope to capture, he’s not merely motivated by beauty but time. It doesn’t matter that he summited mountains in Cape Breton last fall to catch the colours. To appreciate all of autumn’s angles, he did it again.
“Just the urgency. Knowing it doesn’t last very long,” said Lohnes. “Every sunset varies and no sunset is the same, nor every season is the same.”
Across the region drones are up, focussed on cranberry fields or brightly coloured tree tops.
Omar Abdulnaim of Oromocto, New Brunswick takes his drone out as a hobby.
“It is really really beautiful. Especially with the lights of the sun,” he said. “When it’s not cloudy, not raining so it is fantastic.”
Despite the beauty some people wonder whether the trees are more dull this year or if the leaves have hung on a little longer.
“I think the colours are less vibrant this year,” said Jill Craig.
Colin Craig said the leaves in Atlantic Canada are always beautiful.
“And this year they’re a little late. Later than normal. We were just commenting on the fact that a lot of the leaves are still up on the trees,” Craig said.
Loïc D’Orangeville, an associate professor of tree biology and silvics at the University of New Brunswick, noted how in some parts of Canada the fall is looking different.
“Because of the huge fires we’ve had,” D’Organgeville. “We had some severe droughts across the country and that can impact the colours of trees but not everywhere.”
The associate professor pointed out how each region has its own reality.
“Here in New Brunswick we had a little bit of drought early on but it became one of the wettest summers we’ve had in a long time so the colours are actually pretty good this year here,” D’Orangeville said. “A bit late but very good.”
The lateness of the change of leaves’ colours has given photographers and cinematographers the gift of time.
“I was just up in Cape Breton two days ago and the colours are still poppin,” Lohnes said.
