A while back we offered up a few fall photography tips to help you take advantage of the changing colors of the season. If you missed that article, have a look here.
Now we’d like to add to that list so you have even more tricks up your sleeve for getting images of those gorgeous colors before they’re gone. Time is of the essence, so let’s get to it!
Go for Detail Shots
For a lot of photographers, fall is all about the wide-angle landscape shots to take full advantage of the beauty of this time of year. But to keep your wide-angle lens on throughout the fall means you will miss out on all the beauty of the little details the fall landscape has to offer. You don’t actually need to highlight the entire forest in your photo - a few leaves or even a single leaf will suffice. What’s more, it gives you a chance to show off the intricate details of the leaf, both in terms of its veining and its fantastic shape. A close up of the coloring isn’t bad either!
Include Architecture
Fall colors aren’t just about “pure” landscapes with no evidence of the impact that humans have had on the area. By juxtaposing the changing colors of the fall with architecture, you’re able to bring attention to the relationship we have with the season. But beyond that, the sharp edges of buildings, bridges, and the like, contrasted with the soft mass of fall foliage, makes for a very nice visual. Even better is if you can find buildings that really stand out amongst the bright fall colors, like the white buildings in the village shown above.
Look for Backlighting or Sidelighting
What better way to show off the colors of the season than by finding a vantage point that allows you to backlight the scene? With the sun’s rays coming through the leaves, their color will be intensified, making for an incredible scene of deep, rich, and bright colors. Heading out during Golden Hour will enhance this effect with its warm, soft light.
If you don’t fancy getting up early or staying out late for Golden Hour, look for opportunities to use sidelighting, as was done in the image above. Not only do you still get great illumination of the leaves to show off their color, but you also get nice shadowing across the frame to give the image added depth.
There you have it! Three more quick tips for your fall photo-taking to help you maximize the explosion of colors. Get out there, look for good lighting, architecture, and detail shots, and you’ll have a great set of fall photos to add to your collection.