Top 5 Tips for Capturing Stunning Autumn Photos | by Holly Awwad

Aug 29

Autumn is a photographer’s dream season. The vibrant colors, cooler temperatures, and cozy atmosphere make it a perfect time to capture stunning images. For me, autumn isn’t just a season; it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Here are my top 5 tips for capturing breathtaking autumn photos.

Master the Light

Autumn’s light is truly special. As the Earth’s axis aligns with the Sun during the fall, the sunlight takes on a golden hue, perfect for photography. The shorter days and lower sun position create longer shadows and that warm, golden glow that photographers love.

Golden Hour:
The best time to shoot is during the golden hour, which occurs just after sunrise and before sunset. The sun’s low position in the sky during autumn enhances the golden tones, making your photos rich and warm. The soft, directional light is ideal for portraits, adding depth and drama to your images.

Soft Light:
Don’t be discouraged by overcast days. The diffused light is even and flattering, reducing harsh shadows. This soft lighting is great for capturing the vibrant autumn colors. Just remember to place your subject against a dark background to add depth and avoid flat-looking images.

Fog:
Foggy mornings are more common in autumn, thanks to cooler temperatures. Fog acts like a giant softbox, creating a moody atmosphere in your photos. If the fog is thick, use a shorter lens to reduce atmospheric haze, and consider using the “Dehaze” tool in Lightroom to bring out details.

Embrace Autumn Colors

In autumn, color truly shines. The warm oranges, golds, yellows, browns, and reds of changing leaves create a striking backdrop for your photos. These rich colors blend beautifully to enhance your storytelling. Make the most of this short season to capture its vibrant hues.

Our perception of color shifts with the seasons due to environmental changes. In autumn, the warmer light enhances the vivid reds and oranges. For the best color quality in your photos, timing is crucial. Golden Hour provides soft, warm light that complements autumn’s colors. Overcast or foggy days can also make colors appear richer and more saturated. Adding a Circular Polarizing Filter to your camera can boost color contrast and reduce glare on leaves and water.

You can also select colors in your images to enhance your scene. Color Theory offers guidelines on how to use colors effectively in art and design. It explains how different color combinations and mixes can affect the visual impact and emotional response of your photos. By applying Color Theory, you can create images that are not only visually appealing but also evoke strong emotions.

Analogous Colors: Three colors that are located next to each other on the color wheel.
Complementary Colors: Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Split-Complementary Colors: Three colors that include a base color and two colors adjacent to its complementary color on the color wheel.
Triadic Colors: Three colors that are equal distances from each other on the color wheel.
Tetradic Colors: Four colors on the color wheel arranged into two complementary pairs.
Color Temperature: Warm, Cool and Neutral Colors are used to portray different emotional responses.

Find Inspiration in the Changing Season

One of the best aspects of autumn—beyond the vibrant colors, cooler temperatures, and seasonal treats—is the rapid change from day to day. This constant transformation means there’s always something new to discover and photograph throughout the season. Stay alert to the subtle changes around you to capture the full beauty of this magical time of year.

To help inspire you on what to look for and things to shoot this Fall, I’ve made this handy Fall Photo Bucket List Freebie! Not only will it give you great ideas of things to capture, but it will help you get out and about to enjoy the most of what this spectacular season has to offer!

Capture the Details

Autumn is full of intricate details that can add depth and interest to your photos. Focus on close-up shots of fallen leaves, raindrops on foliage, or the texture of tree bark. These small details can tell a bigger story and complement wider landscape shots.

Macro Photography:
Consider using a macro lens to capture the fine details of autumn. Whether it’s the delicate veins of a leaf or the dew on a spiderweb, macro photography can reveal the beauty of the season in ways that broader shots might miss.

Textures and Patterns:
Look for natural textures and patterns, like the rough bark of trees, the smooth surface of a pumpkin, or the layered leaves on the ground. These elements can add visual interest and make your photos more engaging.

Enhancing Your Photos with Editing

Now that you’re inspired and shooting a gorgeous autumn season, you will have a bunch of images in your editing backlog. There is a lot you can do in post processing to enhance your autumn images and also make your editing consistent and easy. Some things I regularly do in post processing are:

Correct crooked lines and compositions with cropping.
Remove clutter or distractions from the frame.
Enhance or replace a boring sky.
Change or pop colors of elements in the frame to better complement the scene.
Enhance the light to create drama or emotion.
Enhance the shadows/contrast to evoke emotion.

My favorite way to keep my editing consistent and EASY is to use my Autumn Glory Preset & Overlay Collection on my Autumn Images. This gives me a beautiful base in Lightroom, with brushes/masks to help enhance the details and colors. Then I use my Autumn Glory Tone and Light Overlays (included with the collection) to give my images a finishing touch in Photoshop. This collection now comes with Lightroom Mobile presets as well, to help you edit on the go on your mobile device!

I hope you enjoyed these 5 tips on capturing a beautiful Autumn! For more inspiration, follow me on Instagram @hollynicoletimekeeper & @hollynicole_nature!