Photography Tips: Fall Colours

One of my favorite times of year is when the leafs on the trees start to turn yellow and then red, fall photography is so colourful and almost refreshing after months of everything outside being green. Capturing the colours that you want can be a little tricky, and shooting in soft light is one of the first steps to getting good fall colours.

In this first sample photo I found a way around shooting in golden hours, by using the shade from another tree to my advantage. One interesting thing to try with fall photography is focusing not just the colours in the trees, but also on what has come out of the trees. In the first photo the leaves that have fallen on the ground are like a reflection of the colours in the tree.

Another interesting subject during the fall can be the leafs themselves. My favorite types of leafs to shoot come from maple trees, due to the symmetry. Another reason for my liking maple tree leafs would have to be the different phases of colours that the leafs go through during the fall season. Often changing from green to bright reds and yellows, then slowly brown as the season moves through mid September to late October.

Whether the leaf is in good shape or not, a few holes give the leaf some character, doesn't matter so much as what you do with it. Each leaf is a little bit different, shoot a few until you get the look and feel that you want to portray.

Even once all the leafs have fallen off the trees they can add flavor to your landscape photos. This is just part of the process of looking at ways to use the season to your advantage. Go for classic shots of your kids in a pile of leafs you just raked up from the backyard, just be ready to clean up again afterward, for a little bit of fun. I still remember a photo of myself from when I was very young, holding up a leaf that was almost as big as I was at the time, so if your kids are small enough, try that!