10 tips for awesome autumn photographs

This blog post originally appeared over at matthewjames.dk

Autumn: Mine and many other people’s favourite time of year. The food is amazing, the fashion and clothing gets more interesting, and the world becomes softer to photograph. But how can you make the most of this time of year with your camera and capture all the colours and moods around you? I’m ready to give you a guide that will make your photos more than Instaready!

1. Capture the sunshine

Now that the days are shorter and the temperatures are dropping, you need to capitalise on every drop of sunlight you can. You will also notice that the shadows created at this time of year are much different than the ones during the longer days. All these factors create circumstances that will make your autumn pictures more dramatic and vibrant.

2. Clouds are your friend

Another great accessory to any autumn photo are the billowy clouds that appear this time of year. A blue sky always looks better with some fluffy clouds involved. In contrast, as an autumn storm is rolling in, you can catch some great photos of the big dark formations that come with it. So look to the sky for inspiration in all kinds of weather- clouds can be our friend.

3. Then again, overcast days are also your friend

As much as we all love sunny days, as any professional photographer knows, the days with the most even lighting are the overcast cloudy days, which autumn has plenty of. There’s no risk of shine or bad shadows, plus you get the perfect amount of light with little adjustment on your camera. So even if it is overcast out, grab your camera and start shooting.

4. Never underestimate the advantage of a lake

A result of all the rain during autumn can also bring positives like rain puddles. With more puddles and water all over the place, you have a chance to optimise your shots and create beautiful mirrored masterpieces of fall foliage, blue skies and more. The sky is the limit, literally, and you have another element to play with to make your photos that much more brilliant.

5. Don’t be afraid to get on your knees

One of the best things about autumn are the fall leaves and colours, right? A great addition that comes with this is the TEXTURE of all these leaves. I recommend getting down and dirty in them, and not being afraid of trying new angles from down below. Give it a shot and see for yourself.

6. Think outside the box

You might be looking at some of the images here and thinking “How is that an autumn picture?” The fact is, the weather is just one of many factors that go hand-in-hand with the seasons. But what about events such as Halloween and Bonfire Night (in the UK), and the foods that go with them? Apples, pumpkins and countless root vegetables. Autumn is more than just leaves, clouds and sunsets, ya know.

7. Take advantage of every moment

Now not to get too ‘’inspirational here’’, but as you know, autumn can be a glorious time, however, the weather changes very quickly from one moment to the next, so if you are out, and get the urge to snap a couple of photos, my opinion would be follow your gut- because just as quickly, the weather will shift and you will have a completely different shot. Don’t put off taking photos if you have the opportunity because you don’t know how long you have that moment for.

8. Mist and fog 

Another element/bonus that occurs this time of year is an excess of mist and fog. Because of the changing temperatures this friendly weather element can be found at dawn and dusk frequently, which helps us when we are out taking these great autumn photos.

9. The changing sunrise and sunsets

As mentioned previously, the shorter days due to the placement of the sun give entirely different sunrises and sunsets. The colours are vibrant, while the positioning of the sun at different times of day gives you light that you could never have in the spring and summer months. As a sucker for sunsets myself, I would definitely recommend capitalising on these and get every last golden colour while you can and before the cold dark winter months are upon us!

10. Carpe Diem, with an umbrella!

Unfortunately the rules with photography are, the more drastic the weather, the better the photos. As mentioned before, since autumn can be such a tumultuous time involving weather, you need to go out and risk the conditions to get some amazing shots that will truly capture this time of year. So even if it does start pouring, come prepared and grab the shot that not every other photographer would have gone after.

So there you have it. 10 Simple tips that will help make your autumn photos even better. Now go out there, start shooting, and please share with me your best autumn shots. I look forward to seeing all the great angles, colours and textures you come up with.

(Images 4 & 7 kindly provided by landscape photographer Guiie Sandgaard Ferrer. You can see his portfolio of fantastic images over at http://www.guiiesandgaardferrer.com)