This week’s autumnal equinox marked the beginning of fall and the start of foliage season in New England. For this long-time professional photographer, it is my favorite time of the year to be living in New Hampshire.
I have been working as a professional photographer for nearly 50 years. No matter where my work takes me or the type of photography I have to produce for clients I always make a point of breaking out my camera and getting out in the landscape of New England at this time of year. The emerging colors and the dynamics of weather and light all come into play to provide an irresistible photography subject.
The fall foliage season has given me decades of fun and photographic creativity. It is a captivating subject for photographers of all skill levels.
Here is some advice and guidance for your foliage photography.
It’s the results that matter, not the camera. There is no “best” camera for photography other than the one you already own. High-end, high-resolution camera systems rigs are great but arguably your smartphone may even be greater. It is more important to get out and make images while the season is here rather than the camera you use. Cameras are just tools, a means to an end. The photographs you capture and share are the thing that matters most.
It is all about the light. The foundation of photography is light The word photographis in Latin translates as “light writer”. Light is your primary creative instrument so learn how to use it photographically. Observe the direction and quality of light in relation to your scene. Harsh midday light on sunny days creates hard shadows while the diffuse light of a cloudy day is much softer. Time of day, direction, and intensity of light changes the look of your photos.
Weather is your friend, the worse the better. Fall in New Hampshire is notorious for changing weather which from a photographic point of view is a terrific problem to have. Unlike people and sports landscapes are stationary and passive subjects. Weather adds a visual dynamic to your fall photos. Beams of sunlight, blowing wind, rainstorms, cloudy skies, snow and fog all add drama to your scenes. Weather impacts color, contrast, reflections, and movement which add interest to your images.
Pay attention to your composition. Composition is how we design our photos. It is the decision process to determine our point of view and what to include and exclude from our frame. As I mentioned landscapes are generally passive so you can take the time to compose and shoot with care.
Level up the Horizon. One pervasive landscape photo issue is tilting the horizon. Before you push the trigger check to make sure your lines are straight. Some cameras and smartphones include leveling tools and grid lines in their display which are great aids for this problem.
Use a Tripod. A tripod is an important tool for photographers. They keep the camera steady so images can be in made in low light. Use them for HDR shots (multiple exposures of the same scene combined into a single photo), Panorama shots, and long exposures. Tripods also have the added benefit of slowing down your shooting process. They give you a chance to examine the scene and carefully determine your camera point of view.
Get up close. When we think about foliage shots large vistas like the ones in the White Mountains come to mind. Those big beautiful landscape scenes are great to capture but don’t overlook the small details. Move in close with your camera to get detail shots. Use the macro mode or a macro lens to get an even closer view. A close-up view often leads to surprising shots because it is so different from how we naturally view the world with our eyes.
Use all of your creative options. We often fall into a habitual way of taking pictures. Learn about and use all of the creative tools that are built into your digital cameras and smartphones. Use different modes like HDR, Macro, Landscape, and Panorama. If you have a polarizer filter use that with your foliage shots to saturate color. Learn photo editing tools so you can creatively tune up your photos for display.
Shot a lot and shoot often. The fall foliage comes and goes rapidly. I suggest frequent and if possible daily forays into the world with your camera. Make many shots of the same scene from different perspectives and with different lenses (zoom in and zoom out). Dedicate the time to create a nice set of photographs showing the whole season
We live in NH so there is no excuse for not shooting fall foliage. Thousands and thousands of tourists are flocking here from all over the world for the visual bounty in our own backyards. One of my favorite things is taking mini-road trips throughout the state, tripod in tow to capture the color on display. I suggest you do the same.
Keep your camera handy and get out to the outdoors to have some fun with your camera.
Links to the state of NH FOLIAGE TRACKER and FOLIAGE REPORT.
