Thankfully, Colorado Mountain College photography instructor Stu Huck shared some essential tips on how to take a great picture...basically, it's all about the light: 

1. If you want to take beautiful pictures, take pictures of beautiful light.

2. You can not photograph stuff. You can only photograph the light reflecting off the stuff you intend to shoot.

3. Pay attention to the sun and its relationship to the subject you are photographing.

4. Morning and evening are great times to take pictures.

5. Do what you do when you are doing it. If you want great pictures, go out and take pictures. If you're going on a picnic, leave the camera at home.

Employ these five simple tips to better your photographs of the waning fall foliage, but make sure to enjoy before the snow flies!