With Autumn just around the corner, here are some tips from Russ Burden to keep in mind when shooting outdoors this season
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I love autumn as the hazy days of summer give way to crisp fall mornings. The landscape is painted with a mosaic of warm toned leaves, the morning air has a fresh clean fragrance, and a rejuvenation of the environment takes place. For the photographer who loves color, it’s a magical time. From the grand landscape to a lonely fallen red leaf to a child romping in a pile of freshly raked leaves, there’s a plethora of subject matter. Whether your passion lies in photographing nature, people, photo journalism, sports, etc., adding a background of fall color will make your images pop. There are so many factors about which to take into consideration when taking fall photos, I’m dedicating this week’s Tips and next week’s to the subject. I will take you on a six tip journey to show you how to improve your autumn photographs. Rather than just reading them and filing away the information in your head, join me on one of my autumn nature photography tours so I can show you first hand my tips, tricks, techniques, and enthusiasm - see last paragraph for info.
Sweet Light: Regardless of the subject matter you shoot, the time of day at which it’s photographed is critical. In that photography is all about the light, choosing the right time of day to make your images will determine the success of the picture. The quality of light at sunrise and sunset is unrivaled for its beauty and color. It provides a rich and warm tone, its angle is low on the horizon raking the subject with magnificent sidelight, and there’s a softness that can’t be had at any other time of day. While getting up early for sunrise isn’t high on everyone’s list, in the autumn it’s much easier to accept as the hour at which the sun rises is earlier than if you were photographing sunrise in mid June. As if these factors weren’t enough to convince you to photograph early and late in the day, there’s also the potential for a magnificent autumn sunrise or sunset to add drama and intrigue to your photographs.
Keep It Clean: Photography is a subtractive process. Stand in any given location where you see a potential subject and study the surroundings. Chances are there will be distractions in the background or along the edges. These distractions can ruin a potentially great photo. A photographer’s job is to work within these limitations and figure out a way to eliminate them. Sometimes the environment makes it difficult or even impossible. Before giving up, try changing your position. Move to your left or right to see if the distractions can be hidden or eliminated. Maybe shift to a higher location or get down low to the ground to see if it helps. If none of these tactics prove fruitful, zoom the lens to eliminate some of the peripheral areas. When possible, if you can rearrange the elements without causing any damage, give it a whirl. Working with small subjects makes this strategy more practical.
Get Down Low: So many fall foliage images are made where the photographer raises the camera to his or her eye without any thought of creating an image made from a unique perspective. The problem with this is the majority of the resulting photos look the same. To make yours different, get down low to the ground. If a forest floor is blanketed with a layer of fallen leaves, it’s only natural that you get to ground level to use the leaves as a foreground. If your kids are playing in a pile of leaves, lay on the ground to emphasize the pile to really tell the story of what’s going on. If your camera has live view, utilize it as it will be easier to create a composition on the LCD as opposed to having to see it through the viewfinder. If you need to lay on the ground, bring along a large plastic garbage bag to stay clean and dry. Knee pads will take the strain off your knees if necessary.
To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.
