Fall Color Photography

It’s Fall Color Time for Nature Photographers

10 Tips for Great Fall Color Photography

Autumn. A favorite time of year for many nature photographers. For those lucky enough to live in areas where you have 4 seasons, right now, early October is a special time. In the northern latitudes, colors are at peak or just past. In many areas, fall color is just starting to appear, and that means its time for nature photographers to get out their digital cameras, tripods and a circular polarizer and get out and photograph fall color.

Photograph by Kevin L. Moss. October, 2010, Milford, Michigan

In most areas, a photographers window for photographing fall color is a short window of about 10 days to 2 weeks. Actual “peak” time may only really be a few days, depending on the weather, latitude and yearly rainfall. Some years are better than others, but it takes a little experience over the years to pick the right time to shoot. Most of my fall color photography occurs the last week of September through mid-October. Its a yearly ritual for me as a photographer and instructor. I’ve been photographing for 20 years now!

Photograph by Kevin L. Moss. October, 2010, Milford, Michigan

Over the years, my techniques have been refined as well as my taste in subject matter. Earlier years I found myself shooting for the grande vista, the hilltops, the treelines and big blue skies. My tastes have evolved into getting closer in the past few years. More close ups, macro’s and tight tree shots are now on my agenda, but with the unpredictability of color, I still take what nature puts before me.

10 Tips for Fall Color Photography

Use a Tripod. I can’t stress enough the importance of not relying on vibration reduction or faster shutter speeds to get sharp images. The proven way is still to use a tripod as much as physically possible. When mounting your digital camera on a tripod, you naturally “slow down” the process. You’re more careful composing your photograph, and your’e ensuring theat your camera is as stable as possible.

Use a Circular Polarizer. Of all the tips and suggestions I’ve given my photography students over the years, this is #2 (behind using a tripod off course!). Using a circular polarizer does a few things for you. First, it deepens the blues in the sky. Second, a circular polarizer enhances color. Third, and most importantly, fall color photography is all about foliage, and a circular polarizer reduces glare on foliage and with that, it makes a huge difference in the photographic results you achieve.

Shoot on Rainy Days. Know your light. I’ve found the best time for getting the best color during autumn is right after it stops raining. I’m not suggesting you go out in the field with your camera gear in the rain getting yourself soaked and your gear ruined as well, I’m suggesting you get out there right when the rain stops. With an overcast sky, nature is giving you the best light imaginable for tight fall color shots. In addition, with that lighting your’e getting the richest colors possible. The rain has darkened the bark of the tree’s giving you some great contrast, the best time to shoot!

Munising, Michigan by Kevin Moss. Photographed right after heavy rains

Avoid Bright Sunlight. Know your light. Shooting in bright sunlight is possibly the worse time for fall color photography. Yes, your eyes can see the color popping against that bright blue sky, but your cameras sensor is having fits trying to properly expose that scene. If you do venture out at mid-day for color shooting, make sure you set your exposure compensation to -.7 or -1 to compensate for all that extra light, and bracket your shots. Again, at midday, its just filled with too much light, it preys havoc on your metering, and worse of all, color will indeed get washed out. If you do venture out, use a circular polarizer and hope for the best. On clear days, shoot either early in the morning or just before sunset for best results.

Zoom In! Got a macro lens? Use it! Look around you, color is everywhere, and that includes close ups. Look down, see those colorful leaves? don’t miss out on a great opportunity if its right in front of your nose…

Photograph by Kevin Moss

Break Some Rules. You’ve heard all the rules of good composition haven’t you? Rule of Thirds, avoid power lines, don’t cut your image in half, always have a central subject. I like to break rules, especially that one always having a “central subject”. I hate that rule! Sometimes, I just like color, no central subject, no simplistic of composition either. I look for patterns, and I look for havoc in my images as well.

Apply Special Effects. If you use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you know all the treasures that you have in the Filters menu. Try some out. The more color you have in your images, the better luck you may have in creating a unique art piece.

Photograph by Kevin Moss. Shot on a bright day, circular polarizer, combination of Photoshop CS5 Filters-Glow, Gaussian Blur, Glass filters

Shoot Locally. You don’t have to travel for great fall color in many areas. In my area, instead of making my yearly fall color trek to Northern Michigan, the past few years I’ve spent locally photographing fall color in local parks and nature preserves. I’ve published a book on those efforts, and my local fall color work in urban areas is starting to get noticed by the media. I’ve also discovered in these efforts, the best subjects may be in your own backyard.

Build Your Portfolio. One of the most overlooked aspects of photography in general is the lack of attention paid to portfolio development. Professional photographers can specialize in one type of subject matter. Cars, models, fashion, architecture and the list goes on and on. For the enthusiast, fine art photographer or just knocking around, remember the importance of building separate portfolios simultaneously over time. Divide up your subject matter by subject type such as mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, birds, and yes, even fall color. Years of paying attention to your individual portfolio development will pay off when someone, a publisher, art agent or corporate clients asks to see your “fall color portfolio”, or any other portfolio in your body of work.

Publish Your Work. In addition to building a fall color portfolio over time, consider publishing your work. There are many book creation sites on the web in which you can self-publish a portfolio or body of work. You can even sell your books on Amazon.com. You’re a photographer and what better way to share your art than publishing a book of your best photographs? I did last year in the book Autumn In The Hills. A collection of 50 photographs from my local fall color shooting in Oakland County, Michigan.