Autumnal inspiration
After a warm and sunny summer, let's make way for a beautiful fall (we hope!) and take the opportunity to fill our portfolio with fall photos! Here are our tips to help you get great pictures of fall colors.
To get fantastic colors
The polarizing filter is probably the best accessory to fully appreciate autumn and its warm hues. As it reduces reflections on non-metallic surfaces, it can bring out the true colors of the leaves, even on a gloomy day. Just be sure to use a tripod or a higher ISO to avoid blurry photos, as the polarizer will cause you to lose two to three notches of brightness. But it's worth it, I promise!
The ND filter, master of special effects!
Another very useful filter for fall photography is the neutral density filter (hence why it is often called ND). Combined with a tripod and a remote shutter release, it will allow you to make long exposures even on a sunny day. Waterfalls are particularly interesting subjects for this technique. Surrounded by the colorful leaves, they will look even more beautiful than normal.
The tripod and the shutter release, inseparable!
We've already briefly mentioned these two accessories, but here are some other reasons to use them. First of all, the tripod not only avoids blur caused by camera movements, but it also allows you to take your time to compose the perfect image. It avoids spending too much time in front of the computer to crop the pictures, and it also avoids "wasting" megapixels!
The remote shutter release will prevent the camera from vibrating while it is being used. Some models (Miops comes to mind) also offer many other options (timelapse, lightning photo, shutter response to sound, etc.). An accessory to discover!
Pay attention to the temperature
It's all well and good to go out and take pictures on a beautiful fall day, but the weather can sometimes be changeable and a bit... wet. A beautiful sunny morning with a few clouds can quickly turn into a rainy and chilly morning. So don't forget to protect your equipment with a waterproof cover (and yourself with a coat and, if necessary, photographer's gloves, which have foldable fingertips so you can access your controls). Taking pictures is more fun when your hands aren't freezing :)
And the advice at no extra cost, as promised ;)
There is no doubt that the suggested accessories will help you get great fall photos, but here are also some bonus tips to finish with a bang because we are also "tripping" on photos!
First, try using a warmer than usual white balance when photographing leaves, if your camera allows it. Nothing drastic! You can, for example, use a "cloudy day" white balance, which will bring out the fall colors.
Second, if you shoot in JPG rather than RAW, check out your camera's picture styles. They have a different name for each brand (image style for Canon cameras, film simulation for Fujifilm, etc.), but they usually have a landscape option that allows for more vibrant colors. This will make your JPG photos pop!
Third, don't be afraid to shoot something other than landscapes! Try portraits with the beautiful low light of autumn, or macro with warm tones. Interesting results guaranteed!
And finally, the best trick we have is this: have fun ;)
