Home Forums Gear Photography Shooting Fall Colors

We are pretty much in the peak of fall colors in most of the US. I know some of you are past peak but there are still great opportunities with the last leaves on the trees or even on the ground. I wanted to post a few quick tips to make your fall color shooting a little more spectacular.

I set my camera on the "Cloudy" setting on my white balance. This gives the colors a richer and warmer feel to them. It only effects the JPEG image not the RAW, so I shoot both in case I want to kick it up a little bit more in processing the image. Secondly I go into the JPEG settings and will actually kick up the saturation a little bit for effect too.

I can not emphasize strongly enough the boost a Circular Polarizer will add to your photo. The reflections on leaves will disappear and the colors will pop on the screen and paper. It will also remove glare off of rocks and add contrast to river scenes. I always use a good sturdy tripod when shooting fall colors because often the polarizer will slow down the exposure sometimes to a few seconds.

I often wait until after the leaves have fallen to capture leaves floating and gathering in the river. I will find a great looking leaf and place it on a wet rock. Then using a polarizer to reduce glare compose so the rock and leaf are in a great spot with the colors from the far river bank make a great scene. Fall is by far my favorite time to shoot scenic photos because of the great color that can be captured.

The Little River in the Smoky Mountains captured using the Tamron 17-35mm lens.



A thin sliver of light hitting the bank along the Little River. Captured using the Tamron 28-75mm lens.



Leaf on a rock on the Tremont River. Captured using the Tamron 28-75mm lens.

Guess I'll have to bookmark this lesson. After a big wind, all the leaves on our trees are already gone. But snow will be here very soon, and I get real tired real fast of taking pictures in the snow. Frankly, they're pretty boring.)

That does not alter the fact that your pictures are gorgeous. Our colors, while they lasted, were brilliant yellow. A friend stated it so perfectly when she said it looked as if someone had taken the yellow paint from the center of the road and went straight up the mountains with it.

Thanks for the kind words! I will have to post an extended version next August for you guys way up north! Maybe I will just go up and so some shooting up there so I better learn when fall actually hits. I have been up in Banff for the fall but not Alaska. I can only imagine how beautiful it is up there that time of year.

Those are some great fall colors!

The second is really nice with the band of lighting.

One processing step which I like to make the leaves pop is to add some local contrast with the unsharp mask about 15%/50r/0threshold. A % range of from 10 to 20 usually works well for most images, if there are no whites on the edge of being blown out.

I was unable to get to southwest Coloado this year, but the San Franciso Peaks just outside of Flagstaff should be good this weekend and next. Oak Creek Canyon in the upper stretch is just starting to change.

Doug~RR

Thanks Capt! I imagine it will be kind of colorful over in Tate's Hell in a few weeks! I hope you get some great stuff Doug! I look forward to seeing the photos.

Nothing like that! Wright's lake, normally has some decent colors in November.

Here's one from last year.(11-9-2010)

I am not familiar with Wright's Lake. Where is it located? Those look like cypress trees too. If that's the case, I wonder how the Dwarf Cypress Forest would look that time of year?

The dwarf cypress get a red color normally. I haven't been over there this fall.

Wright Lake is 2-3 miles south of Sumatra, between hwy 65 & the river.

Thanks, I come down through Quincy and Sumatra. I think I remember seeing the signs now.

First set of signs below the Sumatra Cemetery.

Cool, thanks!

Went through Tate's hell this afternoon. The Dwarf Cypress are getting some nice colors now.

Probaqbly a bit off topic but I notice most the photo's you shoot, you use a Tamron lense. I can't afford the high dollar Nikon lense so Most of mine are after market. Looking at your photo's makes it pretty clear to me that it's not so much the ;ense you use as it is how you use it! Really nice photo's!

Thanks! I have been using Tamron for many years. I got started with the macro and got hooked after that. The quality is incredible. I love saving the money on good quality glass! Thanks again!

Capt Ron, it is looking good down there! I am not scheduled to arrive until Nov 6 or 7. Hopefully the trees will hold out a little longer...

Don, as a follow up too. If you were to compare the lens features side by side you will find that Tamron's features are at least equal to and in most cases out perform the other lenses. In all honesty, I personally have not found any of the other lenses that out perform the Vibration Compensation or the Low Dispersion glass. I also have always enjoyed knowing that the lenses carry a 6 year warranty. You really should give them a try.

If the dwarf cypress become even redder, the Wrights Lake reflection would be even more nice.

I am keeping my fingers crossed Doug. I am thinking I will be hitting it at the perfect time for a wide variety of trees. How did it end up in your area?

The aspens are over with, but the maples in West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon are peak. Had a very colorful hike last Saturday (see my West Fork post).

Have a good trip to FL in November.

Doug~RR

Will do, and thanks!