Autumn Lines in the Gaja Valley

In October I returned to Hungary’s Gaja Valley with my camera, looking for that quiet, golden season. The forest was glowing—soft yellows everywhere, like the day itself had been warmed up.

The stream was running low, but that didn’t stop the photos. I leaned into what was there: a narrow ribbon of water, and—with a longer exposure—the path of fallen yellow leaves drifting through it, turning the current into gentle brushstrokes.

And one scene I always like to revisit: two familiar trees standing close, where the shapes make it look as if one is holding the other in a calm, steady embrace. It’s a small detail, but it fits the valley perfectly—subtle, peaceful, and quietly full of story.