"Pro Tip: Five Tips for Taking Great Fall Photos
Even though it still feels like summer, fall officially arrived on September 23. Before you know it, the leaves will be turning brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow and pumpkins will be popping up everywhere. October is one of the most fun and creative months for capturing dramatic and evocative fall images, so heed these five tips for taking great fall photos to get that classic shot!
1. The window of opportunity for photographing fall colors at their peak is short. Keep your camera with you at all times, and be prepared to shoot what inspires you at a moment’s notice. Don’t put off taking that photo because you think it will probably look the same tomorrow—one windstorm or cold snap and the moment could be lost until next year.
2. During autumn, the sun sits lower in the sky, resulting in beautiful, warm afternoon light. For dramatic color, take your photos just before sunset and try a warm polarizer filter when you’re shooting colorful red and orange trees. If you desire really punchy colors, check your camera’s manual to see if you have the ability to boost the saturation settings; you can also boost the color using photo-editing software later on.
3. Fall often has overcast days, so use the filtered sunlight to your advantage and focus on the details, but don’t forget to crop out that gray sky! Try taking tight shots of fallen leaves, pumpkins or a curvy country road; you might also focus on waterfalls with surrounding fall color. If you think your image looks a little flat or dull, use photo-editing software to add a little contrast.
After you’ve taken your fill of fall foliage, turn your camera on your children, pets and local scarecrow to add some balance to your collection. You could even ask someone to pick up some colorful dry leaves and toss them in the air for an action shot. The even light and lack of harsh shadows makes cloudy days the best for taking portraits, so if the family is together, why not take that holiday photo now?
4. Bring your tripod so you can take photos in low light, use a aperture setting such as f/22 or f/32 (for greater depth of field—if you prefer) or shoot with a longer exposure. Even after sunset, during the magic hour of light, you can still capture stunningly beautiful images with brilliant color.
5.Take lots of close-ups, such as a grouping of mums, a pile of pumpkins or a single leaf against a contrasting background. Sometimes, fall landscapes can be so stunning that we try to capture everything in a single wide-angle photo, but these images often don’t have as much visual impact in smaller prints. When you’re shooting your close-ups, use Don Paulson’s composition tips about using the rule of thirds as images always look stronger when they have a focal point.
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