Autumn is a great time to get out with your camera. 

For one reason or another, I have missed the peak autumn colour the past few years. I see the leaves start to turn, and then, when the colours are at their peak, I have something to do, and the best colour comes and goes while I am otherwise occupied. This year I hope it will be different, but if I miss peak colour again this year, here are a few tips to help you get great photos with autumn colour.

Look down as well as up.

Watch out! While looking at the colours in trees, you might be stepping on the subject of your next great photo. Leaves that have already fallen off the trees can make colourful patterns on the ground. Leaves can create a tapestry of colour on the ground just waiting to be photographed. You should also be on the lookout for single or small groups of leaves that have fallen on top of some bright green moss or grass. 

Watch the forecast for foggy or misty conditions.

We all like to see photos with bright autumn colours against a clear blue sky but don’t be put off if the weather is not fair and bright. Be on the lookout for foggy and misty conditions in the forecast. Fog or mist will add a sense of mystery to your autumn photos. The fog or mist will mute the bright colours, but the colour you are left with will still stand out.

Use a Polarising filter.

Even under the best conditions, reflections can cause your photos to lack the bright colours you are expecting to see. A polarising filter will help to eliminate most of those reflections. If you are out while it is raining, just after it has rained or after a heavy dew, the wet leaves will be highly reflective. These reflections, usually of the brighter areas around you, make it hard for the saturated colours to shine through. The polarising filter works by allowing light to enter your camera from a specific angle, therefore, diminishing reflections. By looking through the viewfinder and rotating the polarising filter, you will see when the bright colours come back.

Tetbury Camera Club welcomes photographers of all levels. For more information about the club, please visit TetburyCameraClub.org.uk

This is an article I wrote for the Tetbury Camera Club that appeared in the December 2021 edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.