Photographs and fall color reports may be emailed to: editor@californiafallcolor.com.
Photographs should be submitted as .jpg files of at least 1,000 kb in size. Photographs taken on quality cell phones are acceptable, though those taken on digital cameras are usually better.
Fall color reports should identify:
- the location
- species of foliage (when known),
- date photo was taken
- degree of fall color change:
- Just Starting (0 – 10%),
- Patchy (10 – 50%),
- Near Peak (50 – 75%),
- Peak (75 – 100%) or
- Past Peak.
Degree of Change is measured for the entire area reported, not for a specific specimen (tree, bush, grass).
Reports of seasonal wildlife migrations and activities may also be reported (e.g., Monarch butterflies, whales, waterfowl, elk rut).
To be published, photographs must have been taken within the previous week and identify:
- date taken
- location
- name of photographer (please let us know if you do NOT want your name published)
By submitting photographs and reports to us, photographers are providing us their permission to publish their photographs, reports and name on this site.
Historic photos (taken more than a week earlier) are published rarely, then only to illustrate an important story. Date taken must be included, so as not to mislead readers.
Photographs submitted to our companion Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram sites follow the same guidelines as above. These photos may be used on the website and on these social media pages to highlight current conditions. However, if you want your photo considered for publication on the website, please email it to editor@californiafallcolor.com.
Each Thursday, from the Thursday preceding the first day of autumn (autumnal equinox) to Thanksgiving Day we send the California Fall Color Report (a summary of the previous week’s reports) as a news service to over 700 California weather, travel, outdoor and news reporters and editors.
A selection of Best of the Week photos taken from those published on the website is included in the California Fall Color Report. Media that publish or air Best of the Week photographs are asked to credit photographers by name.
If you do not want your image/s considered for inclusion in the Best of the Week selection, please say so when submitting your photograph/s. Regrettably, payment is not available to photographers, as no payment for use of the photos is received from media.
