15 Tips To Improve Your Autumn Photography

Autumn is a photogenic season! You may see dewy grass or misty mornings, the iconic orange leaves, or seasonal wildlife. How can you best capture the autumn season? Here are our top 15 tips on how to get those stunning autumn photos.

1) Research your wildlife

Do you know your local wildlife? Check to see what local wildlife reserves are near you! Autumn is the time for animals to slow down and prepare for winter. You may just come across a bird making their nest or a deer searching for a mate. Doing your research may also inspire you. You never know what ideas you’ll get! Once you see what is nearby, you can begin planning on how to get them on camera.

2) Get in close

Don’t forget the little details! Zoom in on those leaves and animals. Explore the little things in life. You never know what you’ll find in nooks and crannies. Often the autumn colour of the leaves that have fallen on the ground can look fantastic against the muted colours of the dirt or rocks.

3) Morning mist

Downloading a weather app will give you some notice ahead of time for if morning mist is going to appear. The morning mist is beautiful and atmospheric! To get it on camera, keep an eye on “visibility ratings.” If you see the visibility rating dropping throughout the night, there’s a good chance you’ll have morning mist. Set your alarm early and capture morning mist on camera.

It’ll be handy to have a tripod, as your shutter speeds will be pretty long to get the perfect misty shot. If you can, you should try to get up high. Capturing morning mist is more manageable from a higher vantage point. If that’s not possible, you could use a drone to get that perfect shot.

4) Reflections

A lake or other water source will be an excellent place for photos in autumn. Take advantage of the red and orange foliage to get a stunning reflection in the water. Lakes, ponds, and natural habitats will all be filled with life. Stay patient, and you’ll find more than just a pretty reflection.

5) Deer

By autumn, deer have lost the fur from their antlers. This season is the best time to take photos of them as their antlers look the best on camera. Deer make great autumn silhouettes and are iconic of the season. Deer are relatively tame, and you can get good photos as long as you’re quiet and stay away. This means that you will most likely need a telephoto lens.

6) Fruit loopy

Autumn is the season of the harvest. There’s no better time to seek out the bounty of nature; go to those pumpkin patches and farmer’s markets! You could arrange your scenes of an autumn meal or seasonal collection of food.

7) Love the clouds

Bright sunny days increase contrast. While that can be stunning, learn to love autumn’s cloudy days. Find the shade and capture those moments of deep colour. Find the fresh raindrops in a pumpkin field or the shade of a forest. One of the reasons that photos in overcast autumn weather work are because of the beautiful golden colours of the leaves on the trees. These can really pop in the muted light. That’s why places like New England are perfect to photograph in autumn.

8) See the golden hour

Autumn is known for its oranges and reds, so highlight that even more by taking photos at golden hour. Golden hour is just before sunset or after sunrise. Everything looks redder and softer because the sun is lower in the sky. Autumn is one of the best times of the year to take golden hour photos because days are short, so it’ll be easier for you to get up in time for the sunrise.

9) What about rain?

You might not expect it, but rainy and cloudy days can be fantastic for photos. They’ll give your autumn photos a whole new feel. So, don’t be afraid to venture out in the rain.

To protect your camera, you’ll want a rain cover. Although a professional rain cover is best, if you get caught in the rain, a good tip is to use a plastic bag. Even a plastic bag is better than nothing to protect your camera from the rain.

10) Try out the flash

You may have to experiment with the manual flash setting on your camera to find what works best, but flash photography can make things pop if you know how to use it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a washed-out image. Fast shutter speed and just a bit of flash will make raindrops look stunning.

11) Watch out for the sun

When it’s sunny, be sure that you are aware of the position of the sun as it can make a huge difference to your photos. When the sun is at your back it will light up the subjects in front of you so usually, you’ll end up with a nicely lit shot. If you are photographing into the sun, use a lens hood or shield your camera with your hand. Shooting into the sun can also offer you creative opportunities such as lens flare or sunburst.

12) Lens flare

A photo with lens flare can work when done right. Getting good lens flare in photos is easy enough once you know what to do. Try taking your images at an angle and aim in the direction of the sun. A classic photo could be the sun rays coming through autumn leaves. Adding some flare can give it an extra pop.

13) Warm filter

If the weather just isn’t working with you or you want even more warmth for your autumn photos, then try using a warm filter. You can get a warm lens filter to get things done on the go or edit your pictures later in software like Lightroom or Photoshop.

14) Circular polarizer

Plenty of things can be edited, but polarization can’t be controlled in the same way. Editing in post-production can’t replace using a circular polarizer. A polarizer will help you avoid unwanted reflections on surfaces like glass, cars and also water. It also helps bring out certain colours such as blues and greens. So it’s a good idea to keep one with you all the time regardless of the season.

15) Experiment with white balance

To bring out even more colour in your photos, you can adjust your white balance settings. You can do this either at the time of shooting or if you are shooting in RAW you can adjust this in an editing software like Lightroom in post-production. Your white balance is really important in giving you a natural-looking photo so make sure you correct it.

Autumn is a wonderful time to be outside and photographing. The golden colours, the beautiful light and even the shorter days all combine to make it perfect for photography. So why not make plans to head out with your camera in autumn and capture those stunning photos. Use the tips above and you’ll be sure to see an improvement in your autumn photography.

Photo credits: Kav Dadfar – All rights reserved. No usage without permission. Dreamstime.