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Mastering Fall Photography: Expert Advice on How to Create Stunning Images of Autumn
If you love landscape photography, few seasons rival the allure of fall.
The vibrant palette of reds, yellows, and oranges of fall foliage provide seemingly endless photographic opportunities, but often times this beauty can be elusively hard to capture.
There are plenty of fall photography guides, but I'd like to offer my own take on photographing this season.
Rather than discussing general photography tips on light, composition, and post-processing that apply to all types of landscape photography, the goal of this article is to focus on the photography techniques that I have found the most useful for fall photography specifically.
In this article, you will gain skills, knowledge, and inspiration to improve your autumn portfolio and take your fall photography to the next level.
How to Create Stunning Images of Autumn
Here's what we will cover in this article:
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How to Find the Best Fall Foliage for Photography
One of the keys to shooting amazing fall photography images is to know when and where to catch foliage at its peak color.
When autumn arrives, the leaves will change color in each region of the country at different times throughout the season.
In general, most fall foliage will appear between the end of September through mid-October.
If you are a leaf peeper, you probably know all too well how short the most vibrant fall foliage color lasts on trees.
Here in Colorado, the incredible golden hues of an aspen grove will only reach their maximum color for about a week or so at best before all of the leaves drop for the winter.
The aspen leaves reach their peak color at different times throughout the fall, with the northernmost groves turning color first and the southernmost groves peaking last.
So, how do you avoid the frustration of planning a trip, only to find that you arrived too early or too late for the best fall foliage color?
Here are some of my favorite tricks and tips that I use and recommend for finding the most beautiful fall leaves for my photography trips.
Start with a Fall Foliage Map to Estimate the Right Time
If you live in the United States, the best place to start looking for fall foliage is to use this great resource called the Fall Foliage Prediction map by smokymountains.com. This tool features a map of the US and date slider that will reveal the leaf color timing predictions across the country.
There is a color key provided on the map that explains the various colors on the map and their corresponding foliage stages.
To see the best fall foliage, aim to visit locations during the week or days when the map indicates peak foliage. This will help you time your fall photo trips properly and maximize your chances of capturing the best possible autumn photographs.
Search for a local fall colors forecast
As the fall season approaches, you will often see local media outlets and public land managers release their predictions for peak foliage dates for the current year.
This is especially true for areas that are famous for fall foliage displays, such as New England and Colorado.
Local meteorologists and land managers are very knowledgeable about how recent weather patterns may affect peak foliage dates, and they usually offer the most accurate estimates for the times and places to see the leaves change colors.
For example, the US Forest Service releases a very detailed and informative fall color report for the San Juan National Forest, which is a highly trafficked leaf peeping area in Colorado.
The easiest way to find these reports is to do a simple Google search for “fall foliage report + the area you intend to visit + the current year.”
Use Gaia GPS satellite imagery to accurately time fall foliage peaks
Once you know where you want to see fall foliage and have a general idea of when the leaves will peak (based on the Fall Foliage Map above), you can start to track the progression of the change in leaf color using recent satellite imagery in Gaia GPS.
Gaia GPS is a powerful mapping application that is one of the best tools you can use to plan and navigate outdoor and photography adventures.
Whenever I’m planning a fall photography trip with flexible dates, I will continuously check Gaia GPS satellite imagery to help time the trip so that I arrive when the leaves are beginning to change.
How to track fall foliage using Gaia GPS
In order to track fall foliage using Gaia satellite imagery, you will need a Gaia Premium Membership.
I have used Gaia for many years to plan and navigate every hiking, backpacking, and photography trip I take, so a membership is highly worth it in my opinion (I make no money saying this).
- Once you create a Gaia GPS account at gaiagps.com and activate a Premium Membership, open the app on your desktop.
- Using the search bar at the top left of the map, search for the area or region where you plan to go see fall foliage. You can also click and drag the map so that you are viewing the area you plan on visiting.
- Once you can see your destination on the map, click on the Layers tab on the left side of the map.
- A Layers panel will open up. Click on “Add Map Layers” at the bottom of the Layers panel.
- Search for “Fresh Sat – Recent” and when you find it, click the green “plus sign” button to add it to your Layers. (none: if you don’t see it, this layer might already be listed in your Layers panel.)
- Repeat step 5 and this time search for and add the “Fresh Sat - Cloud Free” layer.
- Go back to your Layers panel by clicking “back” at the top left of the panel.
- You should see the “Fresh Sat – Recent” and the “Fresh Sat - Cloud Free” layers listed in the Layers panel, either in the hidden layers section or the active layers section. If the layer is in the hidden layers section, click the circle to the right of the layer name to activate it and move it to the active layers section.
- Click and drag these layers to the top of the layer stack so that they are visible on the map.
The “Fresh Sat – Recent” and the “Fresh Sat - Cloud Free” layers show satellite images taken within the last few days or weeks.
The “Fresh Sat – Recent” layer shows the most recent images taken by the satellites, and the “Fresh Sat - Cloud Free” shows the most recent images taken when the clouds weren’t obscuring the view of the landscape.
The date that an image was taken will appear in red on the image.
Start by viewing the “Fresh Sat – Recent” layer to get the most recent, most up-to-date view of the landscape.
Look for clumps or blobs of oranges, yellows, and browns mixed in with the dark green forested areas. This likely indicates areas where fall foliage is appearing.
These images aren’t very high resolution and they can be a little bit hard to read, but they will give you a general indication of where the fall colors are appearing.
If there are clouds in the way and you can’t see the ground, use the “Fresh Sat - Cloud Free” (although this may be several weeks old or more).
While this isn’t a perfect method, it can be a useful way to track the progression of fall colors without being on the ground scouting them out in person.
Read trip reports on AllTrails.com
One of the best ways to get an updated status on the fall foliage in the area you plan on visiting is to check out AllTrails.com and look at the reviews for a local hike.
AllTrails is another hiking and navigation website and app that I find most useful for getting trip updates.
The site has a huge database of virtually every hike in the country and users have the ability to rate, leave reviews, and updates about the trail status based on their experience.
During the fall season, people will often comment in the reviews if the leaves they saw on the trail are changing, peaking, or if they have passed their peak.
This can be very valuable information that I always check before I head out on a trip or day hike to photograph the leaves.
Become an amateur naturalist
There are many reasons that becoming a better naturalist will help you become a better landscape photographer, and one is that it will help you find the best fall foliage for your photo trips.
Here are some ways that improving your knowledge of the natural world will give you the skills to more accurately predict and discover the best places to see autumn colors.
1. Understanding Tree Species
Naturalists are knowledgeable about different tree and plant species, and how they change throughout the seasons. Since different trees change colors at different times and in unique ways, knowing which trees to look for is essential.
For example, only deciduous trees (e.g. aspens and maples) have leaves that change color and are shed from their branches. In contrast, evergreen trees (e.g. fir and spruce) remain green all year and do not change color or loose leaves.
Here are some of the more common colorful trees of fall in North America and the expected colors they turn:
- Maple Trees (Acer spp.): They can turn various shades of red, orange, and yellow. Sugar maples are known for their intense orange and red hues, while red maples live up to their name with vibrant red foliage.
- Oak Trees (Quercus spp.): Oak trees typically turn orange, red, yellow and brown in the fall. Red oaks are particularly known for their rich red leaves, while white oaks may display more muted colors like brown and russet.
- Birch Trees (Betula spp.): Birch trees usually turn bright yellow in the fall. Their slender, delicate leaves create a beautiful contrast against the autumn landscape.
- Aspen Trees (Populus spp.): Aspen trees are famous for their brilliant golden-yellow leaves in the fall. They often create extensive groves with shimmering foliage.
- Cottonwood Trees (Populus spp.): Cottonwood trees are generally found along riverbanks and turn vibrant shades of yellow.
- Dogwood Trees (Cornus spp.): Dogwood trees feature leaves that turn shades of deep red to maroon. Some varieties also exhibit purple or scarlet hues.
- Sweetgum Trees (Liquidambar spp.: Sweetgum trees are known for their striking mix of colors, including red, orange, yellow, and even purple. Their star-shaped leaves add to their visual appeal.
- Hickory Trees (Carya spp.): Hickory trees turn various shades of yellow, gold, or bronze in the fall. The colors may be less vibrant compared to some other species but are still quite beautiful.
- Sumac Trees (Rhus spp.): Sumac trees are known for their brilliant red and orange foliage in the fall. They often grow in dense clusters and are particularly eye-catching against a blue sky.
In addition, it is useful to know that certain species of deciduous trees change color earlier in the season than others. For example, in the eastern US, maples and sugar maples are the first trees to change color, followed by hickories and oaks which peak later in the season.
The best way to learn more about the tree species of an area is to consult a naturalist guidebook for the region.
2. Recognizing Patterns
Naturalists are skilled at recognizing patterns in nature. By observing the patterns of when and where certain trees change colors, you can make more informed predictions about the best times and location to see vibrant fall foliage.
Good naturalists understand how yearly fluctuations in temperature, rainfall, daylight, climate, elevation, and other factors can influence fall foliage patterns and the timing of peak colors.
For example, trees at higher elevations will change color earlier than the same species at lower elevations, and trees at northern latitudes will reveal their colors sooner than trees at more southern latitudes.
3. Understanding Environmental Factors
Certain environmental factors like an usual cold snap or drought can influence the when and how leaves change colors in the fall.
Naturalists understand how environmental factors can affect fall foliage, and this awareness can help you predict where the best autumn foliage will be.
Stop obsessing about “peak” fall foliage
Finally, I want to end this section by taking some of the overwhelm and pressure off of finding the peak fall foliage for your photography trips.
If you follow other photographers on social media sites, there seems to be an absolute frenzy around finding and shooting amazing fall foliage locations when the leaves are peaking.
While the fall foliage peak is spectacular in certain parts of the country, it’s not necessarily the only time to capture amazing images.
I realized early on that I don’t enjoy photography or even being outdoors when I feel stressed out (not to mention stress makes you less creative), so over time I have learned to focus on creating photographic opportunities within my constraints, rather than obsessing over the perfect location, timing, light, weather, and other conditions that are mostly out of my control.
Finding and photographing fall foliage at its peak feels stressful to me. I will use the techniques I mentioned above to narrow down my trip dates, but at the end of the day I try not to obsess over whether or not I get the timing right.
Photographer Sarah Marino has a wonderful article on her approach to fall photography where she writes about how peak fall color doesn’t exist:
“Autumn is a process: the days become shorter, temperatures start to drop, flowering plants go to seed, birds begin migrating, some animals prepare for hibernation, and trees move toward winter dormancy,” she writes.
“I think it is helpful to think of photographing autumn in the same way in the sense that fall evolves slowly, often over the course of a month or two, and from the photographer’s perspective, there are opportunities all along this continuum.”
I absolutely love this perspective and have incorporated it into my own way of thinking about timing my fall photography trips, so I hope it helps you too.
If you wait for conditions to be “perfect,” you will only get in your own way. Your growth as a photographer will be stunted and your portfolio will be sparse.
As a recovering perfectionist who has made this mistake too many times, I highly encourage you to let go of the “best” times to shoot and focus more on the beauty you can see and create in the moment.
How to Scout Fall Photography Locations
The places you scout for photo locations will largely depend on where your research (above) led you to find the best fall foliage.
Once you know where and when the leaves will change, it helps to have specific photo locations and compositions in mind.
This is especially important if you want to shoot grand landscapes because the timing and location are essential to know in advance if you want to increase the chances of getting great images.
You can check out my in-depth guide to scouting photography locations or my scouting course “Scout Like A Pro” if you want to learn step-by-step all of the best techniques and methods I use to scout unique photography locations and compositions.
While my guides and classes on scouting go into much more detail, here is a general overview of how to scout the best locations for fall photography trips:
- Travel Books and Guides: You are likely to find tons of travel books and guides (even some specifically written for photographers) focused on fall destination. A simple Google or Amazon search for a guidebook on the area you plan on visiting will usually yield plenty of relevant guidebooks. These resources often feature iconic and popular locations with detailed descriptions of when and where to find vibrant foliage.
- Google Earth and Topographic Maps: Use satellite imagery on Google Earth or topographic maps to explore potential locations. Look for prominent natural landmarks like mountain peaks, lakes, and forests that would work for compositions. This is my preferred method for scouting that I walk you through in my scouting class.
- Local Recommendations: Consult with locals or tourism offices in the area you plan to visit. Residents and tourism officials often have insider knowledge about the best spots for fall photography.
- Scenic Drives and Highways: Research scenic routes and highways known for their fall beauty. These routes are often well-maintained, with pull-off areas where you can set up your camera to capture the landscape.
- National and State Parks: National and state parks are excellent destinations for fall photography. Many of these parks have designated trails and viewpoints that offer stunning vistas of autumn foliage. Check the park's website or contact the visitor center for information on the best times to visit.
- Local Photo Workshops and Tours: Consider joining a photography workshop or tour led by a local expert. A local photography guide will take you to the best locations at optimal shooting times do that you don’t have to go to the trouble of finding and accessing these locations yourself.
Essential Photography Gear for Autumn Photo Shoots
I am a minimalist when it comes to the camera gear I carry, and this applies to my fall landscape photography trips.
I only carry a camera body, two lenses (a wide angle and telephoto), a tripod, spare batteries, and lens cleaning supplies.
If you are hiking, don’t forget to bring the 10 Essentials.
I consider this the core, essential gear for every photography trip I go on year round.
You can check out all of the exact gear I use and recommend in my free “Landscape Photography Gear Guide” eBook. You can download this free eBook in the VIP Resources.
One piece of gear that I’d light to highlight here that is especially important for fall photography is a circular polarizing filter (CPL), or circular polarizer.
Circular polarizers are lens filters that allow you to control and manipulate the polarization of light entering the camera.
They are particularly useful for fall photography due to the unique challenges of shooting forests and leaves. Polarizing filters will help to:
- Reduce Glare on Leaves: Leaves can be highly reflective when hit by sunlight. Circular polarizers allow you to reduce the glare on leaves, making it easier to capture more detail and color.
- Enhancing Foliage Colors: Autumn foliage is all about vibrant, warm colors. Circular polarizers boost color saturation, helping you capture more vivid reds, oranges, and yellows.
- Minimizing Water Reflections: Circular polarizers will reduce distracting reflections on the surface of bodies of water like lakes and ponds.
I don’t always carry a circular polarizer except during the fall and when shooting forest scenes because they really can enhance these types of images.
It is also important to note that much of what polarizing filters do cannot be achieved using post processing techniques.
For example, it is virtually impossible to remove certain reflections or fix loss of detail due to glare in Photoshop.
This is why polarizers are an essential piece of kit that cannot be left at home on fall photography trips.
Composition Tips for Fall Photography
Composition is how you arrange all of the elements within the frame of your photograph.
It is a huge topic that is way beyond the scope of this article, but it is something that is very important to understand, practice, and experiment with as a photographer.
Composition can make or break a photo that otherwise has perfect light and color.
While all of the “rules” of composition can be applied to fall photography scenes, there are some composition techniques that I find more useful to focus on when shooting fall scenes.
Look for intimate landscapes and details
Intimate landscapes are a genre of landscape photography that focuses on capturing the smaller, more detailed, and often overlooked aspects of nature.
Unlike grand or sweeping landscapes that encompass large, expansive vistas, intimate landscapes zoom in on the subtle patterns, textures, and natural elements within a scene.
An example of an intimate landscape could be a single golden aspen leaf floating at the top of a small pond or puddle, or a zoomed photo of a portion of a patch of cottonwood trees that are displaying autumn colors.
Intimate landscapes are usually isolated parts of a grand landscape that tell part of the story of a larger scene.
I often find these scenes more enjoyable to shoot, especially in fall, because you can find them anywhere if you train your eyes to look for them.
Finding and shooting grand landscape compositions is very difficult. Add in the fact that the best grand landscape photos are shot at specific times of day (golden hour), when the weather is cooperating is even more difficult. To further layer in the difficulty of shooting these scenes when the fall foliage is at its peak will most likely set you up for disappointment and frustration on your photography trips.
Opportunities to create intimate landscape images are abundant in the fall.
Timing, lighting, and location is much less important when photographing small sections of the landscape, which will allow you to focus on being more creative.
I also appreciate that the process of creating intimate landscape compositions requires you to slow down and take a more meditative, introspective approach to shooting the natural world.
Not only will slowing down help you to become more creative, it will also help you improve your compositions and create more unique images.
Look for patterns and textures
Patterns refer to the repetition of shapes, lines, colors, or textures within a scene.
Patterns and textures are everywhere in nature and they can make compelling compositions for photographs.
For example, the repeated patterns in a zoomed in section of trees trunks or the arrangement of the petals of a flower can produce lots of visual interest if they are framed properly.
Patterns create a sense of harmony and order that is usually pleasing to the eye.
One way patterns are often created in nature is with textures or interesting surfaces. Textural patterns are characterized by the repetition of textures, such as the ripples in sand dunes, the bark on tree trunks, or the pebbles on a riverbed.
Strong compositions comprised of patterns and textures are often visually interesting in a way that draws the viewer into the image.
Most people do not notice patterns and textures in the natural world, but you can learn to recognize them with practice.
In the fall, you can find patterns that are particularly interesting due to the multitude of vibrant colors that cause leaves and trees to stand out in unique ways.
Pay attention to colors and think about color theory
Because autumn is a time where we are focused on capturing colors, it helps to keep basic color theory principles in mind.
The main thing I would suggest you think about when choosing and refining a composition is the color harmony of the scene.
Color harmony has to do with the pleasing arrangement and interaction of colors in a composition.
Color harmonies are determined by where colors lie on the color wheel.
The main color harmonies include:
- complementary - two colors that lie on opposite sides of the color wheel
- monochromatic - different variations of a single color
- analogous - colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel
- triadic - three colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel
- tetradic - four colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel
To learn more about color harmonies and familiarize yourself with color harmony principles, check out this great Canva guide here.
Scenes that are comprised of harmonious colors will usually have stronger compositions that those that don’t have harmonious colors combinations.
When composing a landscape photograph, consider the relationships between the colors in the frame.
Aim to use colors that naturally harmonize with each other. For example, pairing complementary colors like blue from the sky and orange from autumn leaves can create a strong visual contrast and impact.
Focus on simplicity
When you are out in the field looking for compositions, pay attention to what draws your attention.
If you feel excited about a subject or emotionally compelled to photograph a scene, notice what it is about the scene that got you excited or led you to feel other emotions.
Then try to frame your composition around that particular element and remove everything else.
This could be tree branches, trees, rocks, even too much foreground or background.
Try to remove as much as you can to simplify the composition down to the essential aspects of what you are trying to capture.
Removing distraction and superfluous objects often leads to more compelling images.
Look down at your feet
When I’m out looking for compositions, I have a tendency to only look at what’s in front of me and forget to look down.
There is a whole world of interesting things to photograph on the ground when you are out in nature, especially on a forest floor.
I find that the practice of looking down at your feet when searching for compositions is especially fruitful in the fall.
When leaves fall off their branches, they can often be found lying in interesting arrangements on the ground.
Pay attention specifically to isolated leaves or patterns of leaves that lie on contrasting backgrounds or textures.
Tell a story and express your viewpoint
One of my favorite pieces of advice about creating a portfolio of fall images comes from landscape photographer William Neil in his wonderful book “Light on the Landscape.”
In an essay titled, “Focus Your Fall Portfolio: Work With A Theme To Create A Unique Collection of Images,” Neil explains that it is useful to think about creating a story with your images by thinking about a specific theme that you feel passionate about.
For a single location, this may involve shooting a series of large scale scenes with a wide-angle lens and intimate landscapes with a telephoto or macro lens.
An example of a theme may be river reflections or a specific color harmony.
Passion for a subject is essential, and this will help you express your view and what you want to say.
“When you see the selected images as a group, such as in an exhibit or online gallery, they should create a visual story, a personal exploration, a creative viewpoint,” Neil writes.
You can use all of the compositional techniques described above to put together a collection of fall images on a theme or a series that tells a story in a compelling and unique way.
Lighting and Weather for Fall Photography
Lighting can have a big impact on the color and detail in fall foliage images.
When you plan your next fall photography trip, think about how certain lighting conditions will enhance your compositions.
As discussed below, certain lighting conditions will enhance the saturation of colors and improve the quality of your photographs.
Overcast skies and fog are often ideal
While many scenes do not typically benefit from overcast lighting, this type of light can actually enhance the look of forests, leaves, rivers, and streams in your photographs.
Fog will also significantly enhance forest photography because it will add depth and mood to your compositions and help you create order out chaotic forest scenes.
Overcast weather and lighting is often considered ideal conditions fall foliage photography for several reasons:
1. Even Lighting
Overcast skies act as a natural diffuser, softening and evenly distributing light.
Unlike harsh midday sunlight on a clear day, overcast light is less harsh and reduces the contrast between highlights and shadows on the leaves.
As a result, you can capture leaves and forest scenes without the distraction of extreme contrasts.
2. Color Enhancement
Cloudy conditions can enhance the saturation of colors in your images. Fall foliage is already known for its rich and vivid hues, and overcast lighting can further accentuate these colors.
This is especially true when leaves are wet due to rain or humidity.
3. Reduced Glare
Direct sunlight can create glare and reflections on leaves, making it challenging to capture details and textures.
Overcast conditions minimize or eliminate this issue so that you can better capture details and textures on leaves, trees, rocks, and other natural objects.
4. Extended Shooting Time
Overcast skies during the midday hours mean that you are not limited to shooting during the “best” light that usually appears during the golden hours around sunrise and sunset.
This means you can photograph fall foliage in the middle of the day when the light would otherwise be too harsh for good photos.
When overcast clouds hang around throughout the day, you can start shooting later in the morning and continue into the late afternoon, maximizing your opportunities for great photos.
Look for and utilize backlighting
In landscape photography, backlighting refers to when the sun is positioned behind the subject and light rays shine directly toward the camera.
This creates a scenario where the subject is between the camera and the sun, with the light source coming from behind the scene.
Backlighting is another great type of light to look for when shooting fall foliage because it can enhance your photos in two major ways:
- When backlighting is used with fall foliage, it can make the leaves appear more translucent and give them a radiant, almost ethereal glow.
- Backlighting can create silhouettes of natural features and a high degree of contrast between the sky and the ground. When trees and leaves are backlit, the details on the leaves and branches become dark and harder to see against the bright background. This contrast can add drama and visual interest to your photographs.
Backlighting is typically best used in the early morning or late afternoon, just be careful to watch out for lens flare.
Final Thoughts
Fall is an incredible time of year to get outside with your camera.
While there are a lot of tips and techniques that you can use to improve your fall images, don't forget to slow down and simply enjoy being outdoors.
Fall foliage peaks for only a short time. Don't let that overwhelm you or cause unnecessary anxiety.
At the end of the day, landscape photography (for me at least) is a way to connect to nature, express myself, and savor the sense of wellbeing that time spent outdoors brings.
What are your favorite tips for taking autumn photographs?
