Autumn Photography Tips: Essential gear and shooting advice

With the nights beginning to shorten, we bring you all the essential tips and advice to make you a master of autumn photography.

Autumn Photography Tips – Essential Gear

Warm clothes

Standing around in the wilderness while the sun is low in the sky can be chilly work, so make sure you wrap up warm. Particularly as you are likely to be standing still for a long period of time to get that perfect autumn photography snap.
Build up the layers and include waterproofs for when the skies invariably open.

Wellies

Getting the right angle for your composition can often require standing on ground that is less firm, such as a boggy field – or even in the middle of a stream.

By donning a pair of wellies you can ensure your feet stay warm and dry, no matter where you venture on your autumn photography adventures.

Gloves

If you’re taking pictures your hands are constantly exposed to the elements – instead of nicely tucked away in your pockets – so can very quickly get cold. You need a pair that will still allow you to operate your camera while keeping you warm.

Consider fingerless pairs or thinner thermal types – some manufacturers, such as Lowepro, even produce specialist photo gloves for this purpose.

Torch

As the light fades it can become difficult to find buttons on your camera or even spare cards inside your camera bag, so have a small pocket torch on you. It can also be handy to light the way on your walk back to the car.

Tripod / monopod

Long shutter speeds are needed to create a large depth of field, and at dusk or dawn especially you’ll need a steady tripod to avoid camera shake. Chances are that the light is going to drop faster than you’d expect, so ensure that you have some camera support for low-light photography. If you’re serious about your autumn shots, make sure you bring the sturdiest tripod you can carry.

Macro lens

Some of the best images taken in autumn feature the tiny details of nature, so don’t be afraid to pack the macro lens. A macro lens will allow you to focus right in on the detail and capture some stunning colour and texture, making it perfect for plant life and the autumn colours. So make sure you keep one in your kit bag.

Wideangle lens

This is the most useful lens for your autumn shots because it gives you a nice wide view with the option of a vast depth of field. For APS-C cameras a 10-20mm is ideal, while full-frame users might want a 24mm prime.

Filters

Filters allow you to control the tonal range and bring it within a more even range. By using graduated ND filters you can darken a bright sky, or with solid ND, slow a stream of water into a blur.

Waterproof cover

When the rain does come down you usually have two choices: put your camera away or get it wet, but with an all-weather cover like the Kata E-690, you can keep shooting whatever the weather.

Autumn Photography Tip – Shooting:

Make a note of the light

With the days getting shorter, the golden hour will be constantly changing, so why not make notes on when your favourite spots are at their best?

Revisit old venues

You may have shot a certain landscape hundreds of times, but the chances are that if you haven’t photographed it in autumn then you’ve probably been missing out.

Get shooting early

Once the autumn colours set in, be sure to capture them quickly. All it takes is one big storm for them to blow off the trees and the opportunity to pass.

Think Colour

Look for bright, contrasting colours – plenty of reds and greens. Or different shades of colour.

Keep your eyes open

The view at eye level is not always the only one worth photographing. In autumn, much of the interest is above eye level or at your feet.

Use a tripod

Keep your camera steady for those long exposures for a sharper shot and maximum depth of field in your picture.

Now read: How to shoot Autumn landscapes, the essential guide to getting the most out of your photos, featuring advice on location, setting your camera for the colours, the golden hour, rule of thirds, depth of field, macro and running water.
Set Up Your Grid

Have a look at the settings on your camera and see if you can apply a three-by-three grid to either your LCD or viewfinder.

Experiment

Try shooting both portrait and landscape, experiment with negative space and work with the impact points.

Be Prepared To Move

Don’t worry if you’re struggling to get the right shot first time around – take time to move around and get the shot.

Hotshoe Spirit Level

Line up the horizon perfectly level with either of the horizontal lines, for maximum impact on a landscape image.

Understanding the Rule of Thirds – Implementation

So, now that you understand the rule of thirds, you are no doubt keen to get out in the field and apply it to your photography. The question is, how exactly do you apply this imaginary grid to your images on the go? Well, given that the rule of thirds is one of the most fundamental compositional rules, camera manufacturers have handily taken out the guesswork when it comes to using it as a practical tool to compose with. A wide range of both compact and DSLR cameras now ship complete with some form of grid system that is accessible at the point of shooting. In practice this means most compact cameras offer the option to change the display on the LCD screen to incorporate the three-by-three grid that is fundamental to the rule of thirds, while the same alteration of display can be applied to a majority of DSLRs’ viewfinders via the camera’s settings.

Once you’ve got your grid set up, experimenting with the rule of thirds is easy. Move different elements around the frame in line with the grid, and then review the images without the grid to see how this changes the look and feel. One piece of advice is to try and gain an innate idea of where the grid sits without having to visually refer to it. Composing a good image is made more difficult by having thick white lines on top, and although it’s helpful in the short run, it could prove to the detriment of your images in the long haul. If your camera doesn’t have the luxury of a grid, experiment with your shots and then see how accurate you were in post-processing.

Understanding the Rule of Thirds – Breaking the Rules

They say that rules are made to be broken, and the rule of thirds is no exception. In the same way that observing and complying with the rule of thirds can add impact to your images, defying it in some instances can do the same. For example, why not try placing your subject in the dead centre of the frame, or indeed shoot a landscape with the horizon directly in the centre? And introducing a strong element of symmetry to your image can have the same stabilising effect on your image as the rule of thirds, thus allowing you to abandon it.