Autumn Sunset Light

It appears that this year's season of golden leaves is drawing to a close. There are a few small pockets of autumn color but that's it.

So, as a photographer, I am transitioning my photo locations so that I can take advantage of the low angle of the sun, especially around sunrise and sunset. It brings out a coppery color in the dogs' fur.

The other evening, we played some recall games just before sunset. Since Shyla's recall has been a little less strong lately than usual, I like to use R as competition. Here, they accelerated out of a sit-stay toward me. 

Whoever gets to me first gets the huge jackpot of treats, and the second-place dog gets one treat. R knows every trick of the recall game. He cuts in front of Shyla within the first few steps and tends to "win" most of the time even though Shyla has a faster top speed. He's teaching her about the importance of a fast recall, no matter what!

When I'm out with the Duo for photos around sunset, I focus on Shyla when the sun is barely above the horizon. The sun's light brings out the nuances of chocolate fur.

I love the warm reddish color of her and of the world around her. I know from experience that the red hue will become more intense as we get closer to the solstice.

Just after sunset, when the world is still quite light but there's no direct sunlight, I focus on R because black fur shines in this light. Last evening, we stood in front of one of the few remaining aspen trees that has leaves. R was intensely focused on a sound in the forest.

But, in an instant, his eyes turned soft. His intensity can almost be too much for me at times but I love that he can "turn it off" when we're alone.

Even though the autumn leaves have mostly fallen, I am rooting for a few more warm sunny days when I can ride my bike in shorts before winter sets in!