Copyright © Andy Long

 

This shot of the Aspen trees can be captured in a couple of ways.  You can look around for a good spot and use the tree shadows to set up a sun star or lay on the ground and position the image as you want.

 

As the temperatures start to dip, photographers’ imaginations tend to wander off in a couple different directions.  One follows the elk rut that occurs throughout the western part of the country.  Another can be found at a variety of spots in the east, north, and west where a palate of peak fall colors spreads across the hillsides.  Several quintessential images come to mind: almost any shot of Maroon Lake with the Maroon Bells in the background; a shot taken while you’re lying on the ground shooting up into a blue sky bracketed by colorful leaves and tree trunks; close-ups of backlit leaves; a tight shot of a mix of colors (such as reds, yellows, and rust); and an image taken in Grand Teton National Park from Oxbow Bend with the Teton Range in the background.  All of these are great shots to have in a library of images, but looking for something to stand out from the everyday favorites is where the fun of Autumn color photography comes into play.  Fog, storm clouds, and snow can add interesting files to your collection.

 

Copyright © Andy Long   Let fog work to your advantage.  Here it helps to isolate a lone tree.

Fall is a great season for finding fog.  The difference in temperatures between the ground and air makes it a common occurrence.  Getting above the fog on a ridge or mountaintop gives you a clear view of the area with fog nestled in a series of mountain ridges or along a river.  Even if the river can’t be seen, the fog that fills the area draws the viewer’s eye--maybe better than the river itself would.

 

While fog around a group of trees is nice, finding an isolated tree set apart from others creates a very strong image.  One of Ansel Adams’ top prints is of an oak tree shrouded in fog with low sun coming through in the background.  The thicker the fog for this type of shot, the better, as it helps obscure whatever else is in the viewfinder and puts all the emphasis on the main subject.  Whether the leaves have fallen off the tree or not is not important as long as the detail of the tree can be seen.
 

Metering fog can either enhance or diminish the effect of the shot.  If you’re above the fog and it’s bright white, treat it as snow and open up about a stop to balance the color.  If you’re shooting through the fog, underexpose about –2/3 of a stop to darken the overall image and bring out the fog even more or go +1/3 to lighten it up a bit.  Don’t rely on your digital LCD screen for reviewing the shot, though, as it tends to brighten things up.  Typically, you hear advice to overexpose a fog shot, as fog tends to be lighter in color than a clear day.  However, sometimes you want to portray a different effect.  This is where bracketing comes in.  Do several shots on the plus side, but don’t think underexposing is out of the question, because it can deepen the mood.  While the LCD might not provide the best view of your shot, the histogram can be useful in showing if your highlights are blown-out.

 

Another natural element that can be great for adding to a fall photo trip is storm clouds.  The darker, more ominous and threatening the sky, the more drama and mood in the resulting images.  An average dreary day won’t work; the weather has to be on the verge of a big storm.  As in fog, using exposure compensation on the minus side will make the clouds appear darker than they really were.  To lessen the effect, go to the plus side, again bracketing to get the exact feel you want.  Take a spot meter on the sky and then on the hillside.  Split the difference, if there is any, or lean to the side desired to emphasize either the sky or the hillside.

 

When storm clouds are brewing, the effect is enhanced if the storm is on the opposite horizon from the sun.  While the sun is obscured, you might not have the greatest of shots, but if the sun breaks through and shines on a hillside blanketed with fall color as storm clouds gather above, a very dramatic image results.  The contrast between the mood of the dark sky and the reds or yellows mixed with green on the hillside draws the viewer into the image.  Depending upon the sky, a couple of composition options are available.  If the sky is quite dramatic with good definition in the clouds, about two-thirds sky and one-third hillside would enhance the feel of the storm.  Going the other way would work if there’s good light on the hillside or the sky isn’t overly dramatic.  In contrast to bracketing by exposure for fog, bracketing by composition would be a good choice when you’re confronted with this situation.