Cool mornings and beautiful afternoons mean one thing: fall is knocking on our doorstep. Fall is my favorite season for photography as the possibilities are endless, from colorful trees creating reflections in the water to cool, foggy mornings. Capturing the beauty of fall doesn’t have to be hard with a few simple tips and reminders.
Custom White Balance
Remember that white balance is balancing color casts in your image. Occasionally, specific light sources will cause a warmer tone to your images, and others will produce a cooler tone. When you utilize the correct white balance, you neutralize the color cast in your image, ultimately making the colors more accurate across the frame. Your camera has several choices for white balance. Many photographers sometimes miss or are unaware that they can create custom white balance. You can create a custom white balance using a simple gray card or, my favorite, the Expodisc. The Expodisc is an excellent piece of gear that allows you to create a custom white balance in 10 to 15 seconds—allowing you to create a consistent white balance from image to image, with no special software or post-processing. Making accurate colors in the camera will allow you to spend less time staring at the screen for endless hours.
I was not using a circular polarizer in the image on the left. I used a circular polarizer on the image on the right. Using the filter reduced the glare on the water and rocks.
Circular Polarizing Filter
A polarizing filter is your number-one best friend for fall colors and landscape photography in general. I suggest every landscape photographer have one in their bag at all times. I never leave home without it due to all the benefits it provides. Here are just a few of the benefits a polarizer can help create stunning landscape images:
- Enhances Color: The polarizer will help improve and intensify the color of the foliage.
- Reduces Glare: It will help reduce glare on shiny leaves or wet rocks in a stream.
- Improves Sky: It will help darken your skies, making the fall foliage pop against a dark blue sky.
- Creates Depth: Reducing the glare off wet rocks or leaves and boosting saturation will create depth in your images.
If you start doing a little research, you will likely come across two types of Polarizing filters: circular and linear. The circular polarizer is the one with the most ease of use. You screw it onto your lens and rotate the filter. While rotating, you will see the effect through your viewfinder. One tip while using this filter is to be 90 degrees from the sun.
Use a Tripod
This may sound like a no-brainer if you're an avid landscape photographer. You would be surprised by the people not using a tripod while shooting landscape images. The tripod allows for an endless combination of settings. Nothing can be more frustrating than having to use a slower shutter speed than you would like to capture the image you want. If you are using a telephoto lens for your pictures, the tripod will also allow for a more stable platform from which to work.
Poor Weather
No one likes rain or an overall cloudy day, but this weather can make for some great images, especially if you get up early when the chances for fog are higher. I particularly like foggy mornings because they can create a moody and mystic feel. Fog can also provide a more simplistic scene when it would typically be chaotic. You may have to focus manually due to the scene's low contrast, as your camera may have difficulties auto-focusing. With today's focusing technology, I find it less and less of a challenge to auto-focus.
Another thing you should watch out for is your exposure. Occasionally, the fog can trick your light meter, but I normally shoot in manual mode. I really love cloudy mornings, especially if the clouds have depth and dimension. The clouds act like a giant diffuser, creating nice, soft light!
Photograph Sidelight or Backlight
Leaves are translucent, and when the light is coming from behind your subject (light in front of you), the colors of the leaves will pop, making a big impact, especially if the overall scene is a little darker. By using side light in your images (light hitting your subject from the left or right), you will create dimension and depth in your images and also allow for more separation of colors in your images.
Utilizing Long Exposures
Now that you are bringing your tripod along, you can start exploring long exposures. Naturally, we want to create long exposures with running water in a stream surrounded by fall colors. Occasionally, you will have a windy day. Who am I kidding? Fall always seem to be windy! Take advantage of the fall colors blowing in the breeze and create more fine art images with slow shutter speeds. I would highly recommend the use of a neutral density filter. This will allow for much longer exposures on a bright day and make sure your exposures are not overexposed (too bright).
Look for the Details
Landscape photographers tend to focus on the bigger scene overall. However, we must remember that the fine details are just as important as the grand scenic landscape! Look at individual leaves to find details to photograph, and use a macro lens to create dramatic images of a small scene.
Take It All In
When arriving at your location, look at the scene and leave your camera in the bag. Study the scene before you, study the light, and look for compelling compositions. When we study the landscape, we slow down and notice more details and compositions. When it's time to start photographing, you will have taken the time to study the landscape, and your images will be better.
In the end, fall is such a short season that you have to track the changes in the color as they come and go pretty quickly. With a little planning, a camera in your hand, and a few tips, you'll be on track to create some stunning fall images! Everyone has their own tips and tricks for fall. Share yours in the comments!
