How to Take Pictures of Fall Scenery

Fall Leaves

The colors of fall never last quite long enough. The deep, rich, golden hues of the changing leaves, accented by oranges, reds and burgundies, are breathtaking. From pumpkins and gourds to deep red sumac, the colors of the season are a favorite of many photography hobbyists. Capturing the few days in the season when a maple tree stands proud with golden leaves can become a prized photograph for any photographer. With a little patience and practice, taking pictures of fall scenery can be a breeze.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• SLR film or digital camera
• SLR camera lenses
• Tripod
• Creative filters

1. Scout out a location to photograph fall scenery. Travel to areas with trees, pumpkin patches and wild sumac. Drive up to lookout points for a birds' eye view picture. Hike into a forest area for close-up pictures. Look for groves of trees near winding roads. Remember to think about the entire scene. A beautiful golden maple tree won't photograph well if it's sitting in front of a billboard sign. Explore out of town, in rural areas.

2. Decide when to photograph the fall scenery. Will the location look best in the morning or evening? What direction does the location face? Will it be best illuminated by the sunrise or sunset? Lighting on fall leaves can make a picture very dramatic. Since evening light in the fall has very orange hues, it can accentuate the color of the fall season. If the sunrise is particularly colorful, it can also serve as a coordinating backdrop to fall scenery pictures.

3. Pack appropriate gear to take pictures of fall scenery. An SLR camera, lenses, a tripod and creative filters should be included in addition to extra batteries, film or media cards. Try using polarizing filters to saturate the fall colors and darken the sky. Use soft focus filters for close-up detailed pictures of leaves, patterns and tree bark.

4. Set up the camera. Use a tripod to steady the camera. Hand hold the camera if you need to move around for a variety of angles. Set the camera to the shutter priority exposure mode. This is often symbolized with "tv" (time value) or "s" (shutter speed). Select a shutter speed that will be fast enough to stop the movement of swaying tree limbs. Select a shutter speed of at least 1/200.

5. Adjust the aperture as you take pictures of the fall scenery. Increase the depth of field or make it more shallow, depending on the look of the picture. A larger f-stop number will give your more detail and depth, and a lower f-stop number will focus on the foreground, making the background blur.

6. Take lots of pictures, working with the light, framing and camera settings. Experiment with angles, adjustments on the camera and creative filters. While out and about, take lots of pictures and decide later which ones to print and preserve in the photo album. The best way to get better at photograph is to practice and experiment and learn from mistakes.