On Tuesday, 21st November, fifteen members assembled in Mount Usher Gardens to sample the autumn colours once again.
Mount Usher Gardens occupies the site of a cottage and small mill once owned by the Ussher family, who gave the area its name. The gardens were created by Edward Walpole—a wealthy businessman and lover of walks—who bought the land in 1868 and transformed it into the magnificent 22 acres of gardens we see today.
From a photographic perspective, capturing autumn colours is always tricky: you want to be late enough for the deep yellows and browns, yet early enough that there are still leaves on the trees. We had a stormy weekend prior to the outing, but luck was with us—the gardens were resplendent in their autumn glory. The recent rains ensured the river was flowing strongly, with plenty of water cascading over the various weirs.
There were abundant photographic opportunities—from close-ups and meandering river shots to long exposures, to mention just a few. We were spoiled for choice.
After one to two hours of shooting, we retired to the Avoca coffee shop for our traditional fare. All who attended agreed it was an excellent morning—so much so that some of us returned later to capture more images in the rising sunlight.
Some images (click on an image to open in full-screen mode) from the outing can be seen below:
