Autumn Colors in Photographs
Capture Fall in Photographic Images
Fall is one of my favorite seasons! I love the leaves changing colors, the crisp air and the rich aromas of autumn baking.
Each autumn, I take my SLR digital camera out and go for a drive in the gorgeous Oregon forests that are just 10 minutes away from my home. Capturing the fall colors on trees and shrubs is one of my most cherished past times.
Autumn sunlight is less intense than during the summer, as the sun has sunk lower on the horizon. Light streams through brilliant orange, red and yellow leaves, adding dimension and depth to the colors. While its nice to take photographs on sunny afternoons, I also love to experiment with other lights. Fall leaves through rain showers can create images that look almost like watercolors. Early morning hours and at dusk, the dim light add a quiet, calm feeling.
All photographs in this hub are the property of Stephanie Hicks. Please contact me for permission to use.
Composing Fall Photographs
Composing fall photographs is fairly easy. Consider what you want your viewers' eyes to see - a swath of color, individual leaves, a nature scene, or perhaps an illustration of the changing seasons (a leaf falling from the tree, or settling into the water)?
When you look through your view-finder, crop out distracting items like street lamps, directional signs, vehicles and buildings. Some structures may work in photographs, however, like covered bridges, walkways or old fences.
Fall foliage may be the subject of your photographs, or perhaps create a lovely backdrop. My favorite photographs include water features, contrasting evergreens and rock formations.
If you are working with a digital camera, take multiple frames of the same shot, adjusting the angle, bringing in the focus, and experimenting with settings (speed, ISO, aperture). Don't worry about how many images you make. You can always delete extra photographs.
Where is Your Favorite Location for Fall Colors?
Where Can You Find Fall Foliage?
Because leaves turn colors when they are exposed to fewer hours of sunlight and colder overnight temperatures, you'll find the best, most brilliant fall foliage in northern areas of the United States, Canada and Europe.
Although I have explored many reaches of the Pacific Northwest, in Oregon and my original home of Washington State, with a few excursions into British Columbia, Canada, the maples of the Northeastern region of the U.S. are but a dream for me. I would love to spend October in New England someday!
If you live elsewhere in the world with beautiful fall colors, please vote, and share your location in the comments below!
Why Do Leaves Change Colors in Fall?
Deciduous plants lose their leaves each fall and then bud out again in the springtime.
Unlike evergreens, leafy trees and shrubs use a green chemical called chlorophyll to aid with photosynthesis - the means by which these plants absorb water and CO2 and turn them into glucose for energy, with oxygen as a by-product. In this way, trees are literally the lungs of the planet.
When the days get shorter at the end of summer, it's a signal to plants to prepare for the shorter, colder winter months. Photosynthesis shuts down and the green chlorophyll, which hides the yellows and orange colors that are always present in leaves, fades away.
Brilliant reds and purple colors in fall foliage comes from glucose remaining in the leaves after photosynthesis turns off. Cooler temperatures that arrive in autumn cause the leaves with trapped glucose to turn bright colors.
What fall color do you enjoy best?
Any Camera Will Do
You don't need an expensive camera to take gorgeous fall photographs. Any camera will do. Even a cell phone camera - heck, many of them are pretty high resolution these days.
Digital cameras are pretty much the norm these days, with fewer and fewer people taking film photographs. Whether you want a large, professional SLR (single lens reflex) camera, or a point and shoot, today's camera features make it pretty hard to make a mistake.
For the crispest, cleanest shots, use a steady hand while focusing. Most cameras come with auto-focus, but even a slight wiggle will reduce the sharpness of your shot. Try bracing your shoulder against a building or tree and hold your elbows into your body to minimize shake. Ideally, use a tripod if you have one.
Want or need new camera equipment? With new camera models coming on the market frequently, you can often get amazing deals on eBay.
Where I Found Fall Colors
Comments
Very nice and attractive photograph of "Autumn". You have decorated this article well. I am from Bangladesh and I have the same problem like @truebluewriter. If I get any chance to visit those places then it will happen in my life also. Thanks a lot for your nice article.
Awesome shots. I love my country (Philippines) but we only have rainy and dry season since we're tropical so it's very rare to find trees that have leaves that change color. I've always envied other countries that have the Fall season because of this.
Great collection :).
Stephanie, these photos are spectacular, great work! I was trying to choose a favorite as I scrolled down the list, but I kept seeing others of equal beauty so it wasn't possible to pick any one in particular. I am sure I was not the only one doing this as I read through lol.
I have been fortunate to experience fall beauty on both ends of this beautiful earth, and although I do love the fall scenes here in the United States, there is also the scent factor which I prefer in Australia. I suppose it's because the smell of things always invokes emotion, and I do get homesick from time to time.
Wonderful hub, shared, voted up & Tweet to you my friend:)
Enjoy your evening
Kerry
Love your fotos stephhicks68 autumn are the months i have really missed being away from my home country england. Thanks for bringing autumn to my office today :-)
Great hub with lots of beautiful natural pictures. Good job stephhicks68. :)
Living in the southeast lends itself to beautiful fall colors and I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I love this hub and your photos are spectacular. I particularly liked the simplicity of the pine branch photo. I'm not a photographer but you inspire me to try harder. Great hub. Voted up!
Just beautiful! It's a difficult decision, but I think I'll vote 4th from the last as my favorite. They are all striking--thanks for sharing. Now I want to have a day out with my camera tomorrow.
Lovely photographs, especially the footbridge shot. Our community in Georgia always explodes into beautiful shades of yellow, orange and brown every autumn. I just wish the colorful leaves would stay on the trees a little longer!
Autumn is is my favorite season! The pictures you posted are beautiful! Middle and upper Michigan have beautiful autumn colors as well, especially the Upper Peninsula!
@stephhicks68...Your photos are a visual treat! Outstanding work! They well demonstrate your attention to using light sources. You have beautiful country to work with in Oregon, and you have a professional's touch with the camera!
Personally, I'm located where companies suddenly think everyone works with digital photography these days and soon only digital versions will be available. I still use a regular 35mm throw away camera, and many of the results upload just beautifully on the Internet! The vastness of film service is about to end, however.
What a fabulous hub, I could look at these pictures all day long!
Wonderful, thank you and voted up!
Really enjoyed this, and it made me homesick for Central Oregon! Thanks especially for all the beautiful photos!
Oregon is beautiful. Your photos are beautiful. I enjoyed your slide show as the sample of the new format. Bravo!
Mirror pond is always a good photographic subject.
I'm so glad I found your fall photo gallery today! What beautiful examples of fall foliage and colors! I particularly love the photographs with reflections of colors in the water- they are all so lovely!
Found my way here as the slide show of stunning photos in this hub are being used as an example of the new slide show.
Thoroughly enjoyed viewing these lovely images of fall.
Voted up across the board except for funny.
These are gorgeous photos. They are used as an example of the new slideshow view on the blog.
Such gorgeous photographs, stephhicks! Fall is my favorite season - with the crisp air and leaf piles. Too bad that winter always follows with its endless snow! The pictures of fall leaves over the water are simply breathtaking!
Steph, Absolutely stunning photos of autumn's glorious colours! As a lover of water, I am especially drawn to your photos of autumnal foliage along the Deschutes River and Mirror Pond --- gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.
Fantastic photographs. I look forward to visiting Oregon someday. Believe me if you ever get a chance to visit New Hampshire in the autumn, take it. It is really beautiful there.
Just returned to look at your gorgeous pictures once again. You are fortunate to have access to so much water to get those wonderful reflections.
Really good advice,tips and techniques and also some very inspiring Autumn Colour images that will inspire me.
Another same article i found here . just for share
Breathtaking beauty. I thought we had some nice color here in North Georgia. Not! I'm jealous.
I agree Autumn is my favorite season too. Awesome photos!
One of the moat beautiful hubs that I've ever seen. I am an artist and appreciate this very much. Wonderful pictures.
Beautiful pictures! I love the beautiful autumn colors, specially the yellow. It's amazing to look at a tree still full of leaves, all yellow! I'm currently working on a hub of fall colors and recently published a winter hub of photographs! I love to photograph nature!
My friend, erthfrend highly recommended your hubs, I'm glad that she did! I look forward to more of your hubs!
OMG, Steph. Do you have another career in the works? Your photos are spectacular. You truly have the camera eye. Looking forward to seeing more of your observations through the lens.
These photographs are stunning, Steph! WTG! Brilliant hub :)
It's really good to take photographs during fall...!
Absolutely beautiful pictures. Each one is more beautiful than the last.
Calling it Beautiful may be an understatement. You have an eye to capturing one of the magnificent pieces that mother nature has to offer. Love it so much that have to bookmark them for frequent viewing to be thankful of all the goodness in life.
Rated it up and lovely hub.
Beautiful hub and photographs. Thanks for sharing. :)
I have lived in Ohio all of my life. I LOVE the midwest.
I also LOVED all of your photos. You have given some very practical tips on taking good, quality photos. Thank you.
Ooh Steph, thanks for sharing such wonderful pictures of autumn, one of my favorite seasons. I love the colors of the leaves changing. Have you noticed however that the leaves are not as bright and vivid as they use to be. Humanity must stop the polluting in order to save the beauty of this earth. Again thanks for the 'oooh, aaah moment.' Rated awesome and beautiful. :)
Breathtakingly gorgeous...wow! I hope you have these hanging in your home! I love the Fall!
Great shots of beautiful trees. I have fond memories of the trees in NorCal's humboldt county, Russian river concerts and the Northeast's changing seasons. You are very fortunate to live nearby it every day. Maybe I'll get the family to move back to nature someday soon :-)
Awesome photos! Awesome hub! Thank you SO much for sharing, I really enjoyed it all!!!
Absolutely lovely! Thank you for sharing:)
Wow, gorgeous photos. Photography is a passion of mine, too. I would live to get the chance to visit Oregon someday with my camera in hand. It seems like such a beautiful place. I really enjoyed this Hubpage. Voted beautiful!
Great Photos you remind me of why I love fall beautiful great
Beautiful photos Steph! Someday you'll have to come spend October in New England with us. :) Oregon looks equally breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your talent!
It has been said already: Great colors and pictures. Thanks for sharing!
Good morning, Steph. I can't say anything. I love all the pictures above. I can see the positive energy from nature. I just saw all the beautiful of autumn from calendar or my television. But now I see this in reality. Good work , my friend. I give my Vote to you.
Blessing and hugs
Wow! I love your photos! I wish I could visit and take pictures too!
Thanks very much for the visual feast Steph!
Beautiful pictures. I used to live in Oregon--makes me miss it!
Isn't our world just so gorgeous. At every turn there is something fantastic. Love the pictures, thank you for sharing your beautiful area.
Also love the new avatar, hope you and your gang are well
kindest regards Zsuzsy
Wonderful photos, Steph-- never been to the Pacific Northwest, but from these photos, I think your neck of the woods could give Vermont some serious competition:-)
See! I knew you would have some beautiful fall pictures of Oregon to share :).
Stephanie, those are all gorgeous pictures. I wanna come to Bend. We are still trying to decide where to go when they tent our house in a couple of weeks. But I suppose Yreka could be just as colorful and not so far. The grape vines here in wine country are beginning to turn from green to rust color, and some of our trees are turning red. I think I enjoy fall color most where I'm able to see if in person -- wherever that may be.
Absolutely stunning photos, so beautiful to look at, thanks
I love the fir cone. Just beautiful.
Great pictures! Pond pictures are absolutely awesome!
Steph - you are right about the quality of light in fall - it's so beautiful! And your photographs are lovely too!
Thanks for the lovely photos. We see only two colors in my neck of the woods - south Florida. Bright green and not-so-bright green.
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