Photography tips

Autumn has long inspired landscape photographers – and with the beautiful array of colours in the trees, as well as the dramatic variation of lights and shadows on display, is it any wonder why? In this blog we give our top tips for autumn photography and printing to help you make the most of your crisp October walks this year.

Use a ND grad filter

When you’re shooting autumn photography, balancing the sky and foreground can be tricky. Using an ND grad filter is a simple way of toning down the sky so that you don’t end up with an overexposed sky or underexposed foreground.

Exposure

Getting your exposure right in-camera is a good way of giving yourself a strong footing for the editing stages of your work. When it comes to shooting landscapes in bright light, you’re likely to run the risk of an underexposed foreground as your meter could be several stops out. Test this by taking a shot at your metered exposure, then try a couple more at +1/2 and +1 stop before you find the right exposure.

Experiment with a wide-angle lens

This season and drama go hand-in-hand, so a wide-angle lens is the perfect accessory for autumn photography as they allow you to create striking and theatrical compositions by altering the perspective.

Consider panoramas

In a similar way that using a wide-angle lens adds a new perspective to your landscape, panoramas also let you visualise your scene in a whole new light by drawing attention to different elements of your scene beyond your viewfinder. This is great for landscapes generally, but autumn photography scenes like mossy and misty woodlands really shine in the panoramic format – and look really good in print, too.

Look up

At this time of year, you can yield pretty interesting results by forgetting about the rule of thirds and turning your camera to the sky to capture interesting cloud formations and unique colours. Capture the sky and its changing moods by using a tripod, setting your camera to its lowest ISO, and your lens to its smallest aperture. This way, you’re likely to capture something really interesting and exciting in a way you just can’t on those bright, summer days.

Take the weather in your stride

As photographer Tony Worobiec wrote on our blog, there’s no such thing as ‘bad’ weather when it comes to landscape photography – only different kinds of scenes. Embrace the weather, no matter what it may be, and you’ll truly capture the spirit of autumn.

Choosing your paper

Different papers highlight different aspects of your photograph and create different moods. For example, you might choose a different paper for bringing out the slight nuances in the reds and oranges of the leaves than you would for a misty and moody black and white shot. Spend time testing how your paper will affect your image – for example, colours in a glossy print are likely to appear more saturated than in a matte print.

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