Saturday mornings, we typically greet the sun as we head to the Hamilton Airport. It’s where Vonnie is waiting for us with the most delicious Huckleberry Pancakes. Our table on the ramp had to wait though this past weekend as the skies were too gosh darn gorgeous to just speed off. The view from the ole homestead was again, breathtaking as the clouds did their dance. Just to have it out there, I don’t want you to think I really wasted anytime getting to breakfast. Once in the car and the bun burner going, I shot out the window. There was only so long them huckleberry had to wait.

Nestled in the corner in a wall of green, the last vestiges of fall hold on against the inevitable. The white outline of the night’s snow brings detail to every needle on the pine, setting the stage for the eye-popping color. Though it was across the valley, I couldn’t help but see the color as I drove by. The God skrim brought the right softness to the light and at the same time, saturation. All that was required to make the shot was a little telephoto isolation to what I felt was color holding on to the last moment.

As winter starts to creep over the landscape, the cooler temps and dew point introduce fog to the landscape. There are a couple of locales in Yellowstone that, when I see the right combo of numbers, I like to head to for sunrise. One of the furthest is where Alum Creek feeds into the Yellowstone River. We’ve been fortunate to be there in the past when the magic unfolds, filling cards and the heart. The end of October, though, was a special morning on the river. The fog was moving about as the sun slowly rose, raising and fading with the slightly warmer temp. As the fog danced, so did the color. Behind us at the forest’s edge, the Wapiti Pack was singing. It was the morning of dreams, one we didn’t want to ever stop. In my mind, it was the morning of awe.

I love fall! I love the light, the color, the calm, looking forward to it every year. And it seems that every year I make the same mistake, which is not good. I see it out the window of the plane, the truck, the home, admiring the view, but not making or taking the time to share it with you all! There is no excuse as I know all too well I run the risk of not seeing or being able to photograph it next year. But another fall has gone by and I only have a couple of shoots celebrating it with my camera. That time thing, dang nabit! So I sit here looking at the bare branches. And the color guilt begins.