10 Fun Fall and Autumn Photography Ideas

The leaves fall, the air gets crisp, and the world turns a beautiful golden hue – it can only mean one thing: autumn is here! This is an incredibly exciting time of year for photographers. The changing colors and cool weather provide endless possibilities for stunning photos. 

In this blog post, we will share 10 fall photography ideas that will help you capture the beauty of the season. 

We’ll also give you some tips on which camera lens, modes & cameras to use and how to take advantage of the best angles. So get your camera ready and let’s go explore autumn!

Amazing Autumn Photography Ideas

1. Get close to the leaves

Leaves are the heart and soul of the autumn season. You can try different angles and shots with them. You can stand under the sea of leaves and take a shot of just your shoes.

You can even take a shot of the leaves in motion. The falling leaves are one of the most iconic images of autumn.

To capture their motion, use a slow shutter speed and pan your camera as they fall. This will create a sense of movement in your photo. 

2. Capture reflections

Go for reflection shots. The vibrant colors of yellow, red and brown add a different sense of calmness to photos.

Reflections in puddles, ponds, and lakes that are around the fall colors can make for some beautiful photos. 

3. Focus on the details

One of the greatest things about the fall season is that you will find various props just waiting to be shot on the ground all around you, if you know where to look!

So focus on taking pictures of the tiniest details lying around on leaves such as acorns, berries and seeds. You can use other props as well that help you pop the fall colors!

You can also pair the orange pumpkins, with the orange and yellow background of a tree or create your own pumpkin patch and capture the lines and textures on the pumpkin.

You can even use hay or apples to add a fun and creative touch to your photos.

4. Use a wide-angle lens

A wide-angle lens is ideal for fall photography because it allows you to capture the expansive beauty of the landscape. The leaves may be falling, but with a wide-angle lens, you can still show the trees in all their glory.

The photos from a wide-angle lens will no doubt be the most attractive photos you can capture of the fall.

5. Get close to your subject

You could have a person as your subject, or even a single leaf could do the trick. If leaves are your subject and they are falling, it can be tempting to just stand and watch instead of focusing on your camera lens.

But, this would be the best moment to step close to the leaves and take in the maximum detail and their colors. You can take a shot of an entire leaves cluster fallen on the ground.

Another thing that you can do is get up really close to a single set of leaves and set your aperture to f/2.8 or f/1.8. This will give you a magical bokeh effect in your photos.

6. Use a tripod

The cool weather of the fall can make it difficult to keep your camera steady.  A tripod will help you avoid blurry photos and give you the freedom to experiment with longer exposures.

If you are shooting from a distance or during low light conditions, the tripod will help you keep your photos sharp. It will also allow you to take multiple shots of the same scene using different camera settings.

Another benefit of using the tripod is that it will help you keep your spirit up  during extended photo shoots of couples or single portraits, as your hands will not have to do much of heavy lifting.

7. Try backlighting

Backlighting is a great way to add drama to your fall photos and enhance the luminance of autumn leaves. The sunlight shining through the leaves creates a beautiful halo effect that is simply stunning.

To capture the best backlighting photos, golden hour is your best partner. The crackling sunlight, the foggy air and the yellow colours have the best photography potential. It makes your photos appear dreamy!

One thing that you can try is shoot towards the canopy into a bright sky or into the sun. Remember to increase your exposure by 1 shot and then take the photo to avoid underexposing your picture and to get the most brilliant colors.

8. Experiment with different angles and settings

Take the full opportunity to experiment with different angles and perspectives – Climb a tree, lie on the ground, stand on a hill or stand at the side of a lake.

You can take a side of the tree where your focus is just the dangling branches, or you can take a shot where the tree is the main focus with sunlight shining behind.

You can even use your hands, fingers and legs to be a part of the photograph to make it look dramatic or funky.

You will be amazed how different photographs taken from different angles of the same scenery can completely change the voice of your photos.

Venturing out in a forest area will allow you to take photographs in varied lightings, especially with different heights and density of the canopies. 

Explore the forest with your camera and look for multiple patterns created by trees, mushrooms, etc. You can shoot with a wide lens and it is preferred that you set a low ISO setting.

9. Include people in your shots

People add scale and a sense of wonder to fall photos. Include them in your shots to convey the feeling of being surrounded by nature’s beauty.

You can click selfies with leaves while hiding half your face, or you can throw leaves up in the air and get an epic shot of your friend.

You can also take a shot where you can either blur the subject or the background to give a “lost in the forest” look.

10. Shoot in RAW format

It is always the safest option to take photos in RAW format. It just gives you more control over how you want your photos to look post-capture. The best part about taking RAW photos is that even though it takes up more space, you will have different outlooks for just one photograph.

This is especially helpful if you are taking photos in tricky light conditions, like backlighting. It takes away the pressure of ruining the picture while you’re capturing the beauty of the fall.

Conclusion

These are some of the ways that you can brighten your fall and autumn photography. You have the entire season to experiment with your ideas and play around with your photography skills.

Use as many props as you can, add or contrast different colors, and experiment with different angles and poses and you will have the best autumn photo album in your hands!

We hope you enjoyed these fall photography ideas! With a little creativity and some planning, you’re sure to capture the beauty of the season. Happy shooting everybody! 

See also: What Is Immersive Media?

Related: Best FALL PRESETS for Autumn Photos