Fall Colors Photography (tips, pics, tutorial)
Andy
Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
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.
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:
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:
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,
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.
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:
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:
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,
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Comments
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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?
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I'm with you on this one. I didn't even realize it was fall until I saw some of the pictures here...
Dave
http://www.lifekapptured.com (gallery)
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
dammit, where's the "bite me" smilie? patch! patch! we need a new smilie. please, get on that, willya?
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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.
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.
How's this?
Or this?
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Snappyyyy....... I am shocked!!! That is guarenteed to get some kind of response from somebody that's for sure. :roll
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
love em
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