Fall is a beautiful time of year in the garden, but it can be challenging for photographers. The days are shorter and the weather can be unpredictable.
The changing leaves, cooler temperatures and brisk breezes of autumn are perfect for taking your landscape photography to the next level.
Some tips to help you capture amazing fall landscapes
The golden light of autumn provides great opportunities for landscape photography. The low angle of the sun casts shadows on the ground and highlights the texture of fallen leaves.
Use a polarizing filter to enhance the contrast between light and dark areas in your image. This will give your photos more depth and make them appear richer than they would without a polarizer.
A wide-angle lens can help you capture more of the scene in one shot, allowing you to fit more elements into your frame. This also gives your images a more expansive feel by including more sky or water in the image.
Shoot in RAW mode so that you have maximum control over how your images look after they’re processed in post-production software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop CC.
Choose the Right Time of Day
The best time of day for fall landscape photography is early morning or late in the afternoon. This is when the light is soft and warm, and it’s not too bright. You’ll also have plenty of time to shoot without worrying about getting back before dark.
Shoot on Overcast Days
Overcast days are perfect for shooting landscapes because they provide even light throughout the scene. It’s also better than shooting on sunny days because it doesn’t cause harsh shadows or overexposure in certain areas of your image.
Use a Tripod
If you’re going to be taking long exposures, it’s important to use a tripod. Even if your camera has image stabilization, it’s still a good idea to use a tripod because it will keep your camera from shaking during exposure times that are longer than 1/60th of a second, which could blur your image.
Shoot at Dawn or Dusk
The best times to shoot landscapes are early morning and late afternoon, when there isn’t too much direct sunlight on objects in your frame. If you want to capture images where the sky is bright blue (which looks great in photos), wait until after sunrise or before sunset when the light is more indirect and soft looking.
Use Filters
Filters are an essential part of landscape photography because they allow you to adjust the color balance and contrast levels in your photos. For example, if you want to make clouds look white instead of blue (as they do naturally), use a polarizing filter that blocks out some of those wavelengths from reaching your sensor so they appear white.
Be prepared for changing light conditions
The days are shorter, so you’ll need to start shooting earlier in the day. It’s also harder to predict how much light you’ll have at any given time of day, so be sure to bring along extra batteries and memory cards (and maybe even a second camera body).
Get closer
Fall colors look great from afar, but getting up close will make your photos really pop. Look for textures and patterns in bark or leaves — this is where fall really shines!
Find interesting angles
If you’re looking for something new, try getting down low or up high with your shots. This could mean lying on the ground or climbing onto a ladder or chair. You might even want to get creative by using tripods or monopods to angle your shots down or up toward the sky instead of level with the ground.