• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

DIGITAL PHOTO MENTOR

Photography tips, tutorials and guides for Beginner and Intermediate Photographers.

  • Start Here
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Articles
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Intermediate Photography
    • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Tips
      • Portrait Photography
        • Flash Photography
      • Night Photography
      • Street Photography
      • Travel Photography
      • Photo Editing
      • Landscape Photography
      • Macro Photography
      • Photoshop Tutorials
      • Photography Equipment
  • Online Courses
    • Luminar Neo Course
    • Lightroom for Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Photoshop For Photographers: The Complete Course
    • Beginner Photography Course
    • Portrait Photography Fundamentals Course
  • Private Tutoring
  • Store
    • Online Courses
    • Bokeh Overlays
    • Photography Classes
    • Sky Replacements
    • Texture Overlays
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Private Tutoring
    • Cart
  • Login
  • Photography Basics
    • Beginner Photography Tutorials
    • Free Photography Basics for Beginners Course
  • Photography Challenges
    • Photography Challenges E-Book
    • 5-Day Photo Editing Challenge
    • All Our Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
    • Portrait Photography
      • Free Portrait Photography Key Concepts Course
      • Flash Photography
    • Night Photography
    • Street Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Landscape Photography
    • Macro Photography
    • Photography Equipment
  • Photo Editing
    • Luminar
    • Learn How to Use Lightroom Online
    • Photoshop Tutorials
  • Gallery
  • Resources
    • Free Basics for Beginners Course
    • Free Portrait Photography for Beginners Course
    • Lightroom Presets
    • Texture Pack for Photoshop, Luminar
    • Webinars
    • YouTube Channel
Home » Photography Tips » 8 Tips for Capturing Spectacular Fall Photos This Season
8 Tips for Capturing Spectacular Fall Photos This Season

8 Tips for Capturing Spectacular Fall Photos This Season

by Darlene Hildebrandt | Last Updated: January 6, 2022

Share
Tweet
Pin29
WhatsApp
Email

It’s the most colorful time of the year in the northern hemisphere so it’s time to capture some stunning fall photos. In this article, I’ll give you some tips and ideas to get creative and add some color to your images.

NOTE: If you live south of the equator, save these tips and try them out when it’s your turn for fall!

Here is a quick summary of the tips I’m going to cover. I’ll provide lots of example images to get you motivated and inspired as well!

  1. Use backlighting to your advantage
  2. Remember other foliage changes colors too
  3. Capture harvest time
  4. Spectacular sunsets
  5. Do some fall portraits
  6. Get closer
  7. Try a new technique
  8. Process your photos to enhance the colors

Let’s dig in and take a look at each one separately now.

#1 – Use backlighting

Leaves, and semi-translucent subjects in general, look amazing when you use backlighting to your advantage. That means the light source is behind the leaf, shining through it.

It brings out the colors and detail in the leaves and makes them pop. Here are some examples.

The light here is almost non-directional the very soft. See how the leaves lack punch and texture?

Compare the image above to the one below. This is virtually the same leaf, on the same vine. The difference is that I moved around so that the sun was behind the leaf in the one below. Can you see the HUGE difference between the two images?

I also added one of my new, soon-to-be-released Bokeh Texture overlays to the image below for some added pop. I’ll tell you more about that later!

Notice how backlighting brings out all the color and detail in the leaves here.

Here are four more examples, two with backlighting and two without. See if you can spot the differences.

Front lighting. The color pops here because the background is darker than the leaves. That works too!
Backlighting!
Front lighting with a dark background again and light leaves. Seeing a trend yet?
Backlighting – look at the wonderful colors here!

#2 – Photograph other kinds of foliage too

Brightly colored leaves are great, but keep in mind that they aren’t the only foliage that changes colors. Think about different kinds of grasses, crops in the fields, etc.

So go out looking for all kinds of different things in nature that change color or alter their appearance in the fall.

Farmer’s fields at harvest time are golden and just waiting for you to capture their colors.
Remember to take some wide-angle images as well.
Get down low and crawl around in the grass!
Look for contrast and light that highlights the subject like this. This plant really stands out because of the lighting and the dark rocks.

#3 – Capture the harvest

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where there is any kind of farming, get out and photograph the harvest. Whether that be apples, squash, or crops like wheat, keep your eyes open for it. Take a drive out in the country and see what you can find.

IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, do NOT trespass on private property! Only enter a field or farm when you are invited or given permission by the owner.

Notice that two of the images above just have one lone pumpkin or squash, so if you can’t find a farm or harvest display – make your own!

Go buy a pumpkin or photograph the harvest from your own garden. Then find some appropriate props and make a little arrangement and photograph it. Then eat it!

I set this up and then we ate it!

#4 – Photograph the sunset

Where I live in Alberta we always have spectacular fall sunsets. Because the farmers are all harvesting the fields, it creates a lot of dust in the atmosphere and creates a magical wash of color across the sky at dusk.

Look around your area, get out of the city if you’re in an urban area, and go and photograph some sunsets.

NOTE: Keep in mind the term “harvest moon” exists for a reason. Go find out why!

I found two combines (farm machines) and some small storage bins to frame the sunset and really portray this is a harvest sunset.

For some tips on photographing sunsets read 3 Tips for Creating Spectacular Sunset Photos.

#5 – Do some fall portraits

Fall is a great time to do some family photos or just take some photos at the dog park. Visit your local parks and national park if you live near one – and find the color!

Here are a few fall portraits I’ve done over the years. For portrait photographers, this is the busiest time of year doing family photos because everyone wants the colorful leaves as the background.

If you need help with portraits, sign up for my FREE portrait photography email series CLICK HERE.

#6 – Get closer

Another tip for taking more interesting fall photos is to get closer. It doesn’t have to necessarily be macro photography, but close enough to eliminate all other distractions.

Along the same lines is pay attention to small things too. Looks for little bugs and small leaves and details and photograph them too.

TIP: Use a tripod whenever possible to help you get sharper images.

Isn’t he (or she?) cute?

Getting close can also help you make the background blurrier which will make the subject stand out more.

The image above is an example of how to do that. You can see how the trio of small leaves is sharp and everything else falls out of focus but adds to the image with color and framing.

#7 – Try a new technique

Fall is also a great time to try something new. Pick a technique you haven’t tried before and give it a go – with a fall twist!

Long exposures

How about doing some long exposures? Get out your tripod for this one, you’ll need it! Look for a small stream in the woods or a local natural park. See if you can find some nice yellow or red leaves on the rocks.

Long exposure of a stream.

In the image above I actually looked for a leaf to put on that rock because there wasn’t one there and I wanted a little pop of the orange color. So don’t be afraid to move things around. Position that perfect leaf that you found in the best spot to feature it.

For more tips on long exposures read:

  • Long Exposure Techniques for Creating Interesting Effects
  • How to Create LONG exposures with a Neutral Density Filter

Light painting

Another technique you can try is light painting. It’s super fun and we always have a blast doing it at my photography workshops. All you need is a tripod and a flashlight – a helper is handy too!

Both of the following images were done using simple light painting techniques.

Read more about light painting here:

  • Fun With Light Painting at Home
  • Night Photography Quick Tip – Adding Light
  • Tips and Tools for Light Painting – Review of Light Painting Brushes
  • Light Painting Experiments to Improve Your Photography

#8 – Process your fall photos

Okay now that you have some great fall photos, you need to enhance them, so don’t miss this last step!

Whether you are new to photo editing or have been doing it a while, make sure you process your best photos to bring out the colors and boost their impact.

Basic photo editing

Start with the basics. Make sure the subject stands out, and remove any distracting highlights in the background. Use the tools in your editing software to bring out the texture and detail in the subject.

Before – the leaf looks dull and lifeless.
A little editing in Lightroom brought the leaf to life and makes it pop!

Read more on that topic here:

  • Using the Basic Sliders in Lightroom and Photoshop – a Comprehensive Tutorial
  • How to Use Lightroom Radial Filters – A Comprehensive Tutorial
  • How to use the Graduated Filters in Lightroom to Enhance Your Photos
  • Photo Editing Challenge Day 1 – Quick Edits with Luminar AI
  • Photo Editing Challenge Day 2 – Contrast and Tone Control

NOTE: If you are brand new to photo editing and have no idea where to start or how to go about it – CLICK HERE and sign up for my FREE 5-day photo editing challenge with a new video tutorial and my raw image to practice with every day!

Advanced photo editing

Mastered the basics already? Then you’re ready to try something more advanced.

How about a sky replacement, or adding a texture overlay? Here are a couple of examples of how those techniques enhanced some of my fall photos.

The original sky in this image is too washed out and boring.
I cropped the image, warmed it up a lot, replaced the sky, added some directional sun rays, and darkened it to be moodier. This is the SAME image as above!
This image is just okay in my mind and I wanted to try something different.
So I added two texture overlays, one of which is part of my new Bokeh Texture Overlay package.

As I mentioned above, my brand new Bokeh Texture Pack will be available soon. So I just wanted to give you a little teaser to show you what you can do with them and how much fun it is to add some bokeh to your images.

I am also making a bokeh template collection for Luminar as well! When they are all available you’ll see a link here, so stay tuned!

fall photography ideas

Conclusion and challenge

Now it’s your turn to try it. Get out there and get some fall photos bursting with color! Please share your fall photos in the comments below. I’d love to see them!

Cheers,

Darlene Hildebrandt photographer DPM

Share
Tweet
Pin29
WhatsApp
Email

About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene is an educator who teaches aspiring amateurs and hobbyists how to improve their skills through her articles here on Digital Photo Mentor, her beginner photography course, and private tutoring lessons. To help you at whatever level you're at she has two email mini-courses. Sign up for her free beginner OR portrait photography email mini-course. Or get both, no charge!

Digital Photo Mentor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate Digital Photo Mentor earns from qualifying purchases.

Lightroom Course

Lightroom Course banner

Enroll in My Lightroom Course covering everything from A to Z and always up to date.

Top Beginner Articles

  • Avoid these 9 beginner photography mistakes
  • 7 Tips for Beginner Photographers
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to choose the best digital camera for you
  • 5 Photography Ideas for When There's Nothing Interesting to Shoot
  • 5 mistakes beginner photographers make while using a wide angle lens and how to avoid them
  • 9 Tripod Mistakes Ruining Your Images and Putting Your Camera at Risk
  • Long Exposure Photography

Top Intermediate Articles

  • 10 Camera Settings and Equipment Tips for Portrait Photography
  • Best Photo Editing Software Reviewed
  • Lightroom Alternative: Is Luminar the answer?
  • Top 15 Photography Accessories under $25
  • How to Use a Gray Card for Custom White Balance and Metering
  • Night Photography Settings – Guide to Getting the Best Exposure

Learn Photography Basics

Yes, you can learn to take better photos! It’s my passion to help you learn the photography basics and take better pictures. It’s also the same reason I teach workshops, do photo travel tours, and have online photography courses available.

Enroll in our free photography basics for beginners course, or 12-part portrait photography course, also free.

Recent Photography Articles

  • 3 Ways to Improve the Overall Quality of Your Images
  • The Upside-Down Trick – a Photography Hack to Help You Make Better Images
  • 5 Fun Inspirational Photography Ideas To Get You Motivated
  • Wabi-Sabi Photography Challenge – How to Embrace the Art of Imperfection
  • Dramatic Landscape Photography of the Lofoten Islands – Tips and Inspiration

Useful Links

  • Beginner Photography
  • Intermediate Photography
  • Photography Challenges
  • Photography Tips
  • Photo Editing
  • Resources
  • Recommended Amazon Products
  • Course Login
  • Workshops
  • Webinars
  • Contact
  • Write for Us

Copyright © 2022 Digital Photo Mentor · Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Disclaimer