Photographing Fall Colors

Left Image: Minolta Maxxum 9xi, Tokina 80-200mm f-2.8 ATX lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head. Spot meter (rocks, not shown in picture) at f-8 and approx. 1/60 sec on manual exposure mode and manual focus.

Fall is my favorite season for photography. Brilliant colors in fall offer the photographer unlimited photo opportunities. I prefer overcast days for most of my photography in fall. Direct sun can wash out the colors. Overcast sky works like a diffuser which brings out the color in your subjects. Richer reds, greens, and yellows. Avoid including the overcast sky in your pictures, unless you believe it can add interest to your photograph. Overcast sky produces even and soft light, perfect for photographing fall colors, but the sky itself doesn't usually look good in photographs. For landscape photography, try to eliminate the sky and compose your shot carefully. Even a small part of the gray sky can ruin your picture. Don't just concentrate on wide-angle landscapes. This is something that many photographers do. They get lost in a vast landscape of colors and miss many other photo opportunities. Look for other interesting and colorful subjects. A single leaf can make a beautiful image. Use a telephoto lens and close-in on tree branches to capture their leaves. Water combined with colorful trees always make excellent subjects. Try using a slow shutter speed to create motion in water, but make sure to keep the surroundings in sharp focus. Reflection of different colors can also make great images.



Image above: Minolta Maxxum 9xi, Tokina 80-200mm f-2.8 ATX lens, Fuji Velvia 50, Bogen tripod and ball head.  at f-5.6 and 1/30 sec on manual exposure mode and manual focus

Carry a polarizing filter for removing glare from leaves and other vegetation. You can saturate the colors with a polarizing filter. 81B filters are also useful for warming up a scene. For best exposure, meter something middle-tone in the scene. Bright objects can fool the meter, giving underexposed images. Your exposure time will be slow most of the time, since you'll be using small apertures to gain depth-of-field. A tripod and cable release must be used if you want the sharpest pictures. Use a slow fine grain film. I like Fuji Velvia. It is very saturated and gives the most brilliant colors. Try different lenses and compositions. Each scene deserves a second look from a different angle. I have noticed that my last composition and lens selection is always the best one. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for photography, especially in clear days. I love photographing after a rainy day. It is the best time for some close-up shots. Dew covered leaves and other vegetation are perfect subjects. Look a bit closer and you might find tiny insects covered with rain drops. Carry a macro lens or extension tubes in case you find interesting close-up shots.


People who don't do  photography love summer and clear blue sky. Photographers love fall and overcast days. If you don't get out there with your camera, you'll miss mother nature's most dazzling show of colors.