My image of the month column showcases some of the new photos I've taken during recent travels, as well as some unique situations that I have captured throughout the years. At times I may include a short story which I feel may be of some interest. Enjoy!

My friend Dick Paige called to tell me that the fall color in the Huachuca Mountains was at its peak. He is an avid hiker and is now getting hooked on photography. I have always wanted to photograph the remarkable and different hues of reds, oranges and yellows that the Big Tooth Maples flaunt here in Arizona. Fall color in the west is predominately yellow created by the striking Aspen trees, but it's always a treat to find other colors.

I couldn't leave the next day so we left two days later only to find that the trees at the higher elevations in Miller Canyon were past their peak color. All of the Aspens at the top of the canyon were spent with not one yellow leaf to be seen and most of the Big Tooth Maples also known as Canyon Maples were past their peak as well.

Although I was a little disappointed, I had hoped that the lower elevations might still hold some color because of milder temperatures. We planned a six mile round trip hike up Miller Canyon to find these brilliant trees. After only a half mile we came upon a stream adorned with some brilliant Big Tooth Maples. The funny thing about hiking and photography that I learned long ago is to take advantage of the first good situation that you find. There is always the feeling to push on to see if there is something better around the next corner; knowing this I decided that we should stop and photograph this very appealing area. I also knew that the light cloud cover above us would soon give way to full sun and as soon as it poked its head over the peaks into the canyon the light would get excessively harsh and create too much contrast for good photography. We spent an hour in this area alone, capturing the best trees and compositions that could be found with even lighting. After hiking only a total of three miles I had finally captured some stunning shots of the foliage that I've been after for years.

Equipment Used: Canon Mark II 1Ds 16 megapixel Camera with a Canon 24mm to 105mm zoom lens and 16mm to 35mm zoom lens mounted on a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and BH-40 Pro II ballhead made by Really Right Stuff.

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