Fall Colors Photography (tips, pics, tutorial)

AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
edited September 28, 2004 in Finishing School
it's that time of year, folks :) many of us are right now thinking about where and how we'll get those great fall foliage shots. i thought i would share some tips and experience i've had, and open up a dialog where you stfers will share your fall pics and tips. so when you reply, please put (pic) or (tip) or (pics and tip) in your subject line, so folks will be able to find them!

i think first and foremost, we should be adhering to good principles of landscape photography, and for that, i started a thread a while back in which i and many excellent photographers shared some great tips:

landscape photography tips

now some specifics i've been thinking about..

* keep a journal with you at all times. as you're driving or walking around about your business, you may notice a particular road, farm, tree, building, scene etc. that you say "man, this'll look great in about 3 week's time with the leaves all red and gold!" so, write it down! note which way the light will be and at what time of day.

* don't forget your tripod, and if it's windy, get your shutter speed up there so that you don't get blurry leaves.

* remember, big wide scenics are wonderful - but you can also effectively zoom in on some subjects, so, throw the rule book out and get creative! think outside the box.

* look for river/streams and rocks, and perhaps if the fallen leaves aren't cooperative, you can place some colorful ones where you want them.

* remember the basic rules of composition, and try to get a pleasing composition that complements the scene.

* as you are shooting the landscape, bring along a friend, child, spouse, or other human subject, and include them in some of your shots. it adds to the effect, allows for the scene to be in context, and it's fun for the album, too!

* pay close attention in-post. here are some examples, sony f717 shots of mine from last october here in new york.

here's the original out of the camera, just resized. i set the contrast, sharpening, and color of my 717 (and 828) to (-) becuase i prefer to do my adjustments in post.

8979328-L.jpg

now, i remembered a thread on "post-processing: one-third of the job" so i went back and read that, and then i got thinking... and i came up with this:

8979978-O.jpg


here's what i did: first, i ran a velvia action, to increast the saturation. careful here, i used about 70% of the effect, not wanting to make it too rich. aim for something that is close to the scene as it was, but as always, *you* are the boss and if you want it punched up and vivid, then by all means, do it! then i ran cloud action, to give the sky a bit of interest. the cloud action requires some practice, else you get fake looking clouds. learn to use the opacity sliders on your layers, reducing until the effect is just right. finally, a bit of curves to give some contrast, and i was done.

by the way, many days the sky is just blah! i say, shoot anyway, you never know what you might use a shot for. here's an example, it turned out to be the logo for my website and my business cards:

8979329-L.jpg

8979335-L.jpg

post-processing: one-third of the job

velvia actions? try here:
http://search.dpreview.com/forums/search.asp?query=velvia+action&forum=1006

kbd perfect skies action is here

now again, won't you share your tips, pics, and techniques with the group? thanks!

enjoy (fall colors) photography,

Comments

  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited September 25, 2004
    Oustanding! clap.gif A great how-to for turning ordinary shots into memorable ones. I copied it into the Hall of Widsdom, to be handed down to our children and our children's children.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • DavidTODavidTO Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 19,160 Major grins
    edited September 25, 2004
    SoCal Blues...
    So, Andy...

    You got a tutorial on how to get the extra vacation time so that you can travel across the country to an area that actually has a change of season?
    Moderator Emeritus
    Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
  • dkappdkapp Registered Users Posts: 985 Major grins
    edited September 25, 2004
    DavidTO wrote:
    So, Andy...

    You got a tutorial on how to get the extra vacation time so that you can travel across the country to an area that actually has a change of season?

    I'm with you on this one. I didn't even realize it was fall until I saw some of the pictures here...

    Dave
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited September 26, 2004
    Oh, the pain of unchanging, mostly sunny and dry, high of 70 degrees, weather. umph.gif
    rolleyes1.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 26, 2004
    david, dave, and sid:
    wxwax wrote:
    Oh, the pain of unchanging, mostly sunny and dry, high of 70 degrees, weather. umph.gif
    rolleyes1.gif

    dammit, where's the "bite me" smilie? patch! patch! we need a new smilie. please, get on that, willya?


    lol3.gif
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited September 26, 2004
    Fall weather, it must be, the hurricanes arrived!
    Yes, on this cool fall weather, crisp days, colored leaves...........I can show you some shots of the marsh slowly turning a bit browner. I can do that in about November or December. It is something like watching grass grow, IMO. However, now that I am settling in as a southerner of some years, and a low country dwellers for more years than I have lived elsewhere, I am rather fond of the day it occurs to me that the marsh has indeed turned. I will stay in touch on this.1drink.gif

    Before that I can show you pictures of Christmas decorations.:D

    ginger

    Some people get fall colors and some of us get hurricanes, and/or watch the weather channel a lot.
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • snapapplesnapapple Registered Users Posts: 2,093 Major grins
    edited September 28, 2004
    andy wrote:
    dammit, where's the "bite me" smilie? patch! patch! we need a new smilie. please, get on that, willya?
    lol3.gif

    How's this?

    redbite.gif

    Or this?

    eck05.gif
    "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Francis Bacon
    Susan Appel Photography My Blog
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,694 moderator
    edited September 28, 2004
    snapapple wrote:
    How's this?

    redbite.gif

    Or this?

    eck05.gif


    Snappyyyy....... I am shocked!!! That is guarenteed to get some kind of response from somebody that's for sure. :roll friday.gif :slurp
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 28, 2004
    yay snappy! thanks girlie :)
    snapapple wrote:
    How's this?

    redbite.gif

    Or this?

    eck05.gif

    love em lol3.gif
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