A guide to capturing creative autumn photography

With its vibrant foliage and dramatic light changes, autumn is a sublime time of year to get outside and capture some stunning photography.

While the season’s swiftly shifting scenery can make a fantastic landscape photograph backdrop, capturing it in full glory can be tricky without the right know-how.

Autumn weather can often be dull and dreary, and the shorter days mean less time to get outside and capture quality content.

So, here are a few tips on how to make the most of photographing autumn and come away with beautiful images that you can truly be proud of.

What month is the best for an autumn photoshoot?

While autumn photography can be shot throughout the season, you’ll have a higher chance of capturing that classic colour palette of yellows, oranges and reds towards the latter half of the season—especially if you’re planning photoshoots in the UK.

However, this rule depends on where you are in the country. For example, the season sets a little earlier in Scotland and northern England, meaning an autumn photoshoot filled with kaleidoscopic colours will be possible from early October onwards.

Shooting before the clocks go back in late October will also give you an extra hour of light in the evenings—especially if you’re keen to snap some images during golden hour (more on that below).

What are the best settings for autumn photography?

While experimentation is always encouraged with photography, there are several things you might want to bear in mind—especially if you’re taking shots in the great outdoors:

• Invest in a circular polariser—a polariser is a must for autumn photography as it will help reduce glare on rainy days, plus it can help enhance any contrast between trees and sky.
• Lower your shutter speed—if you’re keen to take photos of branches swaying in the wind or rivers flowing, try lowering your shutter speed for more dramatic results.
• Wide angle—the beauty of nature during the autumn season can be immense, so why not try using a wide-angle lens to capture all its splendour?
• White point—getting the white point right when you’re setting up your camera or during post-production is essential for accurately reproducing those autumn colours. Ideally, you’ll want it fairly high (around 6000 Kelvin), or you could experiment with pre-sets that automatically adjust the white point for you.

Related: A guide to digital camera features

Five tips for photographing autumn

Whether you need some tips and tricks to help improve your skills or you’re simply after some autumnal photoshoot ideas, here are five things to bear in mind:

1. Shoot at golden hour

Golden hour—that brief stretch of time before, during, and after sunset or sunrise—is really a photographer’s best friend.

The soft light dramatically enhances the colours and contrasts of the natural world, making it ideal for shooting effortlessly stunning images.

There’s something extra special about being outside during golden hour in the autumn months. The warm light perfectly complements the rich shades of the season, ultimately adding a lovely glow to your final photographs.

Due to the light contrast at sunset, you’ll find it’s also the ideal time to try out some silhouette photography—whether that’s of trees or people standing against an autumn backdrop.

2. Consider your perspective

Using nature as your primary subject opens up a world of options regarding camera composition and perspective.

As well as taking classic landscape shots of trees, you’ll find many other creative autumn photoshoot ideas you could be experimenting with.

Switch up your perspective by snapping photos of the tree canopies from a low level. This is especially effective on bright sunny days when the blue sky will contrast wonderfully with the vibrant leaves.

Or, why not try taking some close-up shots of crispy, curling leaves a little later in the season?

Wide-angle shots can be a brilliant way to create breathtaking images, especially of vast forests or scenes featuring bodies of water.

You could also experiment with depth by choosing autumnal compositions featuring roads and pathways that lead off into the distance or by finding a natural frame for your shots, such as a rocky archway or a gap in a hedgerow.

3. Introduce a little movement

If you want to get creative with your autumn photography, try adding some movement.

This could involve getting someone to toss leaves into the air or venturing out on a windy day when branches are swaying and loose leaves are tumbling through the air.

To effectively capture this movement, you’ll want to set your camera on a slow shutter speed by reducing the ISO.

A polariser can also help to reduce your camera’s light exposure and increase your chances of capturing blurred motion images.

Related: What is shutter count, and why does it matter?

4. Experiment in all weathers

Crisp autumn days when the sky is blue and the sun is shining may be your preferred conditions for a photoshoot—but don’t rule out heading outdoors with your camera in the fog, rain or mist.

The contrasting grey skies with the season’s typically colourful foliage can lead to extraordinary results. Moreover, the lower light will make capturing movement in your autumn photography easier, as suggested above.

5. Get specialist photography insurance through Ripe

Heading outdoors to try these autumn photography ideas? Don’t forget to protect your camera and accessories with specialist photography insurance.

At Ripe, we arrange cover that can be tailored to fit your exact requirements, so you only ever pay for what you need. You can cover up to £60k of equipment for theft and accidental damage so that you can enjoy your shoots with peace of mind.

Learn how we can help here, or use the button below to get an online quote today.