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As the air turns
cooler, the countryside is ablaze in all its splendid autumn colors. This
is a prime time to grab your camera and head outdoors and capture the beauty
around you. While some photographers take road trips and discover new sites
far from home, not everyone can take time away from their hectic schedules.
A Sunday drive with the family can be a very enjoyable event for everyone.
Staying close to home also has some other advantages. By scouting out nearby
trees that will look fantastic in a week or two, you’ll be able to return
when the leaves are at their prime and at the best time of day for lighting
conditions.
As soon as the sun breaks through the clouds and slices through leaves illuminating
them in all their glory, start taking photos. Sometimes the colors look best
when backlit, with sunlight bringing the translucent leaves to life. Other
times, side- or front-lighting works best. So walk around your subject and
try to find the most attractive angle. Singling out a few leaves or an apple
or two makes for some great close-ups. Not every image will be an award winner,
but hey, that’s okay. Most people don’t know that for every 100
shots a pro takes, there are maybe one or two which are usable.
Some tools of the trade which will help are a tripod and cable release along
with a few filters. Although you may be able to hand-hold your camera, using
a tripod or monopod along with a cable release or wireless trigger will stop
that ever-so-slight movement that will degrade your images as they are enlarged.
A circular polarizing filter increases the richness of colors by removing
reflections and glare. Taking the circular polarizer one step further is Moose’s
Filter from Hoya. Named after renowned outdoor photographer, B. “Moose”
Peterson, this filter combines a warming filter with a circular polarizer.
This filter removes reflections and adds saturation to the colors, while warming
the color tone slightly.
Another popular filter is the Hoya Warm Intensifier. This filter intensifies
the saturation of reds and oranges, many times making the color more intense
than it actually is. This filter is particularly helpful when photographing
fall colors.
If using a digital camera, the clarity of the image will be greatest if it’s
recorded in the highest resolution possible. Taking the image in a TIFF or
RAW mode rather than in JPEG will assure you that no information is discarded
when the camera captures the image. It does take much more memory, but the
benefits will be dramatically seen as the image is enlarged.
The time of the day is also important. Early in the day or later in the afternoon
are your best times because the angled lighting brings out shape and texture.
Remember, the days are shorter this time of the year, so three or four o’clock
in the afternoon will be late enough.
So, pack a lunch and go out with the family for a drive. Now is an excellent
time to get that much needed family portrait for the upcoming holiday cards
to send to family members, plus spend quality time with your family and get
great fall foliage photos in one afternoon. Now that’s multi-tasking
at its finest.
Porter's Camera
Store
P.O. Box 628
Cedar Falls, IA 50613-0028
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