If there are no clouds on the horizon, you might be lucky enough to experience “the green flash.” At the last instant of a sunset, as the sun drops into the sea, bending of the light by the earth’s atmosphere can create a brief, emerald—colored glow on the horizon. Don’t pack up your camera gear as soon as the sun has set. Relax and wait about twenty more minutes for the peak of the color and the best afterglow following a sunset. I have seen the green flash twice but have not been quick enough to capture it.

Macedonia Brook was my favorite state park in Connecticut. The autumn color was perfect. It took a whole day to drive this five-mile stretch. For some images of this brook, I used a neutral density filter, dark enough to require 3-4 stops more exposure, extending my exposure times to ten seconds or more for a very soft effect of flowing water. You may want to bracket your exposures for HDR processing to control your lighting range. Try shooting a comparison test using single exposures with overcast lighting and multiple bracketed exposures in direct sunlight. Sometimes I prefer the richer, smoother colors shooting under the diffused light of a cloudy day and sometimes I like the snappy, sharp lighting with sunny conditions.

The best formations I’ve found in the southern part of Coyote Buttes are located halfway up the eastern side near a spot called Cottonwood Cove. From the access point parking area, look northwest. A ridge, about a half-mile away, is lined with tall conical towers of red Navajo sandstone. Climb up unto the base of these red stone formations and you’ll find the best formations in the area. You will need a permit and a 4x4 with off-road tires.

Most photographers don’t know that Nevada has some great autumn color. On the high desert, close to the Utah border, is Mount Wheeler in Great Basin National Park–Nevada’s only National Park (with great autumn color). The tiny town of Baker, Nevada, where you will find one motel, sits at 5,318 feet elevation. To the west is Wheeler Peak at 13,000 feet. From Baker, a well-marked road climbs 8,000 feet. It’s 10 miles to the top with several wide turn outs above spectacular view-points. The best aspen groves are near the end of the road. In the woods I found many very tall groves needing a vertical format. Along the park road are long rows of aspen that fill a horizontal frame. Aspens have relatively short lives of about 100 years. Fires and diseases can damage the trunks. Carving your initials into an aspen opens it to future problems.