Woodland Floor

This is a post that was originally published on the 10th September 2012. I don't usually do re-posts but this one seemd appropriate!

I hate to bring it up in polite company, but some of you may have noticed that in the Northern half of the world, the calendar is saying that we're on the wrong side of Summer. In the UK, Monsoon (as the season formerly known as Summer is now to be re-branded) is down to its last few drips and all too soon, we'll be into the grim chill of Winter. For the photographer though, this shortening of the days and the increased coolness in the air presages a few glorious weeks of the best, most colourful and exciting photography to be had all year round.

This year, whether Autumn comes early or late, I'm hoping to spend as much time as possible outside, catching the harvest in the fields, the turning of the leaves and bracken in the woods, the first frosty mornings and hopefully, some beautiful skies. I've been thinking about some of the photographic elements I'll be looking for in my viewfinder whilst I'm out and about and thought that I'd list some of my favourite Autumn features...

Colour

The famous colours of autumn, from washed-out, tired old greens through pinks, oranges, reds and deep, rich browns can form the foundation of a stunning image. Because colours can seem to change so fast in Autumn, especially after a frost, it's always worth having a camera to hand whilst travelling. When I'm in my car it's very often the scenes that I see almost every day on my way to or from various places that strike me as particularly interesting - it might be that an avenue of trees I've been admiring all year suddenly takes on a whole new beauty as Autumn colour sets in. Equally, I'm often keen to make special trips to woodlands in the Autumn months so that I can see the full glory of a changed landscape. Of course, those landscapes will change on a daily basis once the Autumn sets in, so it's well worth revisiting happy hunting grounds on a weekly basis. Also, don't forget all the fruit in the trees, fields and hedgerows - they tend to have plenty of bold colour in themselves!

Light

Whether it's the cold, harsh light of a late Autumn day with clear skies or the diffuse light of a misty morning, the temperature of light in Autumn is different because the Sun is further away, and gives a very different feel in photographs from the (supposedly) dry days of high Summer. Using this light creatively - whether by shooting at the right time of day, or using light flare or rays to compliment a good composition - can make or break a good Autumnal image. Light is of course what photography is all about, the reflection of light from objects is what gives us the perception of colour, but keeping an eye on the changing properties of light during the Autumn season is another good way of being in the right time at the right place to get the shot you're after.

Wildlife

Just like people, animals spend the Autumn months preparing for the Winter ahead, whether that's by collecting food, ensuring the continuance of their genes (in large mammals at least) or just getting somewhere organised to get out of the cold. It's well worth being aware of what wildlife are in your locality and when going out with a camera, being prepared to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves. By this time of year most species have moved on from rearing their young and are engaged in other activities, the young themselves are starting to make their own way in world and whether staying or leaving for the Winter, will be out and about and available for photographic capture.

Movement

Higher winds plus falling leaves equals lots of interesting photo opportunities. Demonstrating movement in still photography is an interesting and absorbing challenge and Autumn really provides some great tools with which to do it. Colourful trees sway, piles of leaves are whipped up, rain splashes into puddles (and so do Wellington boots!). All of these things are are to be found in Autumn and with good composition can make a great image. Think about slow shutter speeds, or fast ones if you want to freeze falling or rushing leaves. Think about how you can combine moving and still elements of a frame, or maybe a series of frames that show movement and change.

Mood

The sad truth is that Autumn, as glorious as it is, signifies the approaching end of another year, and sentimental types like me always feel that Autumn is beauty tinged with sadness (I really don't like Winter, as a lifestyle choice) so I always think it's interesting to try and capture mood in an Autumn image, whether that's through the selection of a whimsical scene, some post-processing pokery to add a particular 'feel' or just in attempting to capture or encapsulate when change happens. In some respects I think getting mood into a photograph is the most difficult skill here, because you want to evoke an emotion of feeling in the viewer and it's not always easy to judge for yourself whether or not you've been successful. For me though, this is where the great task lies - it's what separates a good image from a truly great one.