This evening was literally exhausting switching lenses and Picture Control as the sun went south. There was one great set of could to the north, another to the east (bottom photo) and to the south (top photo). The one thing that was constant was the WB was set to 10k. When I switched to the Z70-200f2.8 for the south, I dialed in Monochrome and -1. When I went east, I would go to the Z14-24f2.8 and start in Monchrome and then back to Standard. Then I might put the Z24-120 and Monochrome and shoot a pano starting east and continuing to the south. Then the Z70-200f2.8 and turn west for the God Beams coming through the clouds. And this happened EVERY NIGHT! It’s one reason I love going back to Philmont each October, Philmont fall skies magic!

Fall color is a seasonal splendor that many, myself included, look forward to celebrating in our photography. We often travel great distances for those reds, oranges, yellows and the patterns they creat in the distance and up close. The mellow fall light and polarizer helps us bring romance to this last salute to spring as it goes out in a blaze of color. It’s that time right now but are there other colors we can use to celebrate fall?

As you can see, I think there are and they include black, white, gray and all the colors those colors combined can produce! Walking one of the canyons in the spectacular Philmont Ranch (great workshop BTW) I went simply armed looking at its oaks for their glory. The sun had yet found its way down inside the canyon but the leafs of the oaks were already a blaze. Their trunks though were still draped in the darkness of the morning. That made the entire click an easy one to make. Simply switched the Z 30 to monochrome and the photograph was done. Not every swath of fall color looks celebratory in B&W, but when I find one that does it is obvious there are others color for fall color.