Two icons of autumn -- corn and colorful leaves -- make a beautiful scene in Barre, Vermont.
(CNN) -- Mark Collier grew up in the mountains of Vermont. Every autumn, he would see an influx of tourists flood his state to get a glimpse of the brilliant fall leaves. He didn't get what the big deal was. "Why do people come to look at the trees?" he wondered.
But as he got older, he developed an interest in photography. And that made him stop taking the vibrant autumn color for granted.
Great leaf-peeping experiences
"I suddenly began to notice the stunning colors that seemed to blanket the hills in fire each fall as the days got shorter and the nights became colder," he remembers. "Slowly but surely, as I gained experience and insight, I began to really understand what a special place Vermont is, and I began to fall in love with my home and the stunning colors."
Collier is now a staff photographer for the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus. This year, he decided for the first time to document the fall beauty of his state.
He shared his images alongside dozens of other photographers on CNN iReport. The best of his shots, along with other images of autumn around the world, are in the gallery above.
Hit the trail: 7 gorgeous hikes
Loading weather data ...
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CNN iReport
Oak leaves turn a vibrant red in 
Cindy Schultz took her convertible on this 
The Cherohala Skyway in Tennessee and North Carolina provides an unparalleled view of autumn color in the 
Yellow autumnal leaves hang over a city street in 
Fall leaves highlight a 13th-century church perched on a cliff in 
Jason Asselin captured this photo of 
Autumn leaves carpet the lawn of London's 
Vines climbing on rock in 
"The leaves make the entire landscape shine," said Neeraj Narayan of these golden trees in 
Bright, crunchy leaves pile up on a 
Stephan Ferry and his dog, Java, enjoy the yellow leaves of fall in their 
The forest canopy of 
The trees of 
Deep red Virginia Creeper stretches across a rock outside 
Gorgeous trees fill a 
Dark orange and red fall leaves provide a dramatic contrast to the green grass in 
The gold of this 
In 
A few autumn leaves fall along the path in a 
This forest of yellow trees shows why people come to 
Autumn color is reflected in 
Leaves are already coming off the trees in 
A range of fall colors is reflected in this lake in 
Colorful trees show up beautifully against the blue waters of 
|