Eerie buildings surround us: Whether a decrepit barn down the road or the Angkor Wat complexes, many of these eerie building host history, hauntings, and great photographic opportunities. No matter where I am, these haunted-looking buildings capture the imagination of many–including, shockingly, me. I find old graveyards intriguing, but old buildings hide much more–they hide stories. Who cares about the fact that most of said stories are untrue? The tales of vindictive ghosts and unlikely accidents make these landmarks all the better. Take this local home (above) near where I grew up in New York. No one has lived in it for years. Why? Perhaps because, upon a bit of newspaper research, it turns out that a woman’s body was found there. No one knows exactly how she ended up there or what happened. Mysterious indeed…

Not all haunted places need be shot in black and white. Color can be just as haunting if the ambient light/backstory/ambiance is right. This rock temple in remote Nepal (no vehicles can get anywhere near–one must hike for hours to reach it) is an old Tibetan temple built right under a rock. The sun was setting right as I got there, and inside the temple was…well, part of a huge rock. The decaying wooden interior and religious carvings led to a decidedly eerie ambiance.

Below is the extremely eerie (and now closed to the public) Minister’s Treehouse in Tennessee. I took several photos in B&W at dusk, stitched parts of them together, and ended up with a very haunting image of the world’s largest treehouse. There’s a pulpit inside, multiple hidden rooms and floors, rooms without walls four stories high, and more.

This little church in Malta was adorable yet eerie. I visited it several times and never saw a soul there. Just 50 feet away are cliff walls and a monument to a boy who died falling off them. Creepy?

The haunted mansion of Millbrook, New York. Previously a women’s college (Bennett College) until the 70s, when financial situations caused the institution to close down. Rumors of a fire, ghosts, and hauntings surround this private property to this day.

Below, enjoy a few more of my photos of eerie photos from around the world. Go get exploring yourself, and see what mysteries you can unearth! Try using different in-camera settings, visiting in the early morning or evening for great light, or experimentation with angles before going crazy in post.

The largest Thai Buddha for hundreds of kilometeres…

An abandoned lunch hut in northwestern Thailand

A gorgeous day, a ruined-rock house? This is actually a bird hunting hut in the usual but confusing state of disrepair and use. Gozo.

A small wat nearly 30km away from the Angkor Complex. Note the eerie underground chambers anyone could fall into. (I didn’t.)

The outstretched hand of an 11-meter-tall Sakyamuni Buddha statue in Ipoh, Malaysia

A haunted house, upstate New York

Haunted mansion, Millbrook, New York

The Chrysler Building, New York City

The gorgeous and perfectly symmetrical Petronas Towers, KL, Malaysia

A lonely house on a southern Vietnamese river

Angkor Wat, shot in black and white, with not a person in sight. Eerie, no?

It’s fall. In other news, people from New York City like to rent cars, grab their DSLRs, and drive up throughout the Northeast to look at the changing colors. It’s a tradition we love to hate on tourists for, but it is probably the favorite season of most Northern United States-ers. Why? How many places in the world see leaves in such varied hues? We owe it all to the maple. Thanks, Canadia. In all seriousness, though, I’ve only been around for one fall in the past few years, and having been in so many countries where the only seasons are rainy or dry, showing my friends in India and around the world the amazing natural colors currently surrounding us is a privilege.

The bad news: The colors weren’t so hot this year. Perhaps it was all the rain during the summer, or maybe it was just too much wind this month. Whatever it was, the trees have been off their game. The leaves seem to have stopped at yellow for the most part, then fallen off. I only saw a few oranges and reds in the three states I was able to explore the past few weeks. Whatever it was, I did my best to find and photograph the best colors for your perusal. So come along, kids, and let’s see what the Northeast has to offer!

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It’s beautiful to stop looking up and to look down at the ground. Just feet from each other, the ground can look so much different depending on the trees above.

If you’re still looking down and haven’t yet tripped, look closely at the fallen leaves. I almost stepped on this little guy! A beauty, eh?

And when all else fails, go to a waterfall park. I snapped this one at Kent Falls State Park in Connecticut. No editing needed here.

Below, enjoy a variety of photos I took in New York (the city, downstate, and upstate), Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Yellow

Yellow – I took a train trip one weekend to visit with one of my college student’s hometown in central India. I ate with his family, attended local celebrations with him, and met his neighbors. This colorful elderly woman in particular caught my eye–partly because of her spectacles, and partly because of her personality. Known as a bit of a troublemaker, she would be laughing hysterically one moment and then become quite serious the next. The adorable thick-framed glasses may disguise her eyes, but her facial expression says it all.

Green

Green – While living in a small, remote Thai village, I would try to explore other nearby towns whenever the monsoon rains took a pause. After a 2-hour walk one day, I rounded a bend and came upon this jaw-droppingly green scene. The beauty was overwhelming, and knowing no foreigner had ever been there didn’t hurt, either.

White

White – Who says one must travel abroad to see incredible views? I captured this photo of an amazing natural cloud arc in California, where I road tripped up the coast with a friend. It was my first time in 20 years that I was able to experience–and truly appreciate–the state in which I was born. The bizarre weather around the central coast would sweep rain and fog in within 60 seconds, quickly storm, and then reveal the sun just 10 minutes later. One minute after I took this shot, the heavens opened up.

Blue

Blue – During my weekends off from work in Malta as a scuba diving travel journalist, I would often be found hiking. After hitchhiking to a local beach, a pal and I hiked, swam, and explored the unique gravel cliffs and sandstone caves on the island country’s northwest point. The unique orange sand rims that led into azure blue waters was absolutely stunning (yes, these are the actual colors), and this incredible view from the top of the cliffs remains one of my favorites.

Red

Red – I visited a Tibetan settlement called Mundgod and was enchanted by the bright colors, intense silence, and unique way of life in these refugee establishments. While in the largest meditation room, I caught this monk preparing for the next ceremony. The tiniest footsteps would echo in this red-adorned temple room, so I only took a few photos. And yes, that IS a cardboard cutout of the Dalai Lama in the background.

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No, it’s not that I forgot the colors of the rainbow–nor did I suddenly turn British on you. The reason for this different post is because it’s an entry into a color-based photography contest I was invited to enter through my pal Danielle Fenton of TrekSnappy.com.

The point of the contest? To post one photo each based on the colors white, red, yellow, green, and blue. I tried to choose some of my more unique photos that really show off a country or way of life rather than just posting a beautiful sunrise or butterfly. Though I don’t normally create blog posts that are contest entries, I thought this sounded like a fun way to show off color in travel. Did I mention that entries are judged by a panel of five leading travel and photography professionals? Or that the winner receives a 3,000-pound prize? No, I mean British pounds (£), not an adolescent elephant.

Since the contest, run by Travel Supermarket, is by nomination only, I must nominate five other talented travel photographers. Here goes!

Anti Siladja of Indonesia

Poonam Parihar of the USA

Rory Alexander of South Africa

Margie Miklas of the USA

Lily Riani of Malaysia

Good luck to everyone, and above all–enjoy the colorful travel photography!