An autumn Paradise, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

THE Traveler: Kevin Hawkins of New Hope.

The scene: The Lower Tahquamenon Falls tumble through Tahquamenon Falls State Park on the Tahquamenon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, about 20 miles from the town of Paradise. "This 'falls' is really just a series of several cascades dropping about 20 feet in total, almost like a rapids," Hawkins wrote in an e-mail.

Trip: During a weeklong photography class in the region, Hawkins, his wife Beverly and their photographer friends were often off the grid, driving the back roads "to places where cellphones and the internet existed only in our common memories," he wrote. They sought out quiet places of contemplation. "We were no longer observers of the natural universe. We were part of it. And it was part of us. The U.P. can do that to you," he wrote. He added, "The area is said to have nearly 200 named waterfalls to go along with its two national forests. For photographers and anyone who longs to commune with nature, this is the perfect destination."

Getting the shot: Hawkins set up a tripod on an observation deck, attached his Nikon D D7200 with a Tamron 18-270mm lens and used a four-second exposure to get this shot. "This vantage point afforded me the ability to capture the waterfalls along with the fall colors, which were near their peak," he wrote.