Tips: photographing autumn like a pro
How to capture Autumn's mix of colours with your camera
At the end of summer, when the evenings become shorter and the nights get cooler, nature noticeably changes a lot quicker around us. Before the trees lose their summery gowns, they turn into a vibrant plethora of colours and grant us a fascinating display. Here we have a few useful tips for how you can create fantastic photo compositions at this wonderful, yet short, time of year.
The best time
Many people hide away their camera during autumn and don't touch it until Christmas comes around. Yet, with its flattering light, autumn is made for photography and lures us out into nature. At the same time, the early morning hours and the time around sunset are, as so often, best suited for capturing beautifully warm colours. A golden autumn encounters the 'golden hour' perfectly.
The best light
Walks in the sunshine are obviously beautiful and the colours explode before our eyes - but don't underestimate the power of overcast days. Many of the best autumn photographs are taken with a cloudy sky, when the light filters gently through the clouds as if through a diffuser. At the same time, the colours as well as the details particularly come into their own. The morning misty shroud is also very beautiful, whilst the dew reflects the colours.
How to deal with sunshine in autumn
The eternal debate over whether it is better to photograph towards or away from the sun isn't exactly solved with the arrival of autumn. In one direction it is in the eye of the beholder and in the other direction every angle has its pros and cons. When the sun is behind, pictures may well often appear shallow and two dimensional even though making the colours really stand out. However they can lose their impact without any contrast. Excellent moods can also be achieved though when you allow the back light to filter through the vibrant leaves here and there.
Use contrast in your photo
The changing play of colours in autumn makes it easy to play around with contrasts. Vivid red leaves are even more striking in front of a green field or with a blue sky in the background. Try to take your pictures slightly underexposed, to let the colours have greater impact.
Create photo compositions
Besides fantastic pictures of landscapes, autumn also allows you to take wonderful close-ups of individual leaves, late blooms or mushrooms springing up out of the ground. Always pay attention to the 'golden ratio' so that you avoid automatically positioning the main motif too close to the centre of the picture and making it boring. Play with the depth of field and put the background slightly out of focus. That way you will increase the contrast. Reflections in the water are also a popular autumnal motif.
Don't forget people
Take your family out with you. When Gran and Grandad are holding hands on a sun-drenched walk through the woods, or the children are dancing in the leaves raining down around them, it's a marvellous and easy way to take souvenir pictures. The flattering light is particularly good for taking portraits or group photos of your loved ones.
Camera settings
Don't just rely on your camera's automatic setting - have a go yourself by using the aperture, exposure time and ISO value settings. This way, you can create warm light when photographing by manually setting the white contrast, for example. Alternatively, many digital cameras are already installed with suitable programme settings such as 'overcast', or 'portrait' which are still great to use.
Tipp
Bright autumn pictures lend themselves particularly well to wall decorations. Printed onto Acrylic glass plate the colours are made even more vibrant. Are you looking for a present for the Christmas period, which is coming up all too fast? Put your best pictures together from the last season to make a photo calendar for the new year!