Ten tips to prepare for fall color
Fall has always been my favorite time of year, and the season I have made some of my favorite photographs. To get the most out of your autumn photography, I’ve put together a list of helpful tips.
Practice - Great photos are fleeting, so you need to be fluent with your camera. Like anything in life, fluency requires practice. Find some time to go out and practice in the coming weeks, so you can build that all-important muscle memory with your camera’s controls. Practice photos don’t have to be artistically beautiful, but they should be technically excellent.
Equipment Check - Is your equipment in good working order? Is your tripod and head wobbly or solid? Do you have enough batteries? Do you have a way to carry it all? Now is the time to make sure your kit is tight, so you can run out the door when opportunities arise.
Trip Planning - Planning time to photograph will help make it happen. It could be to a park across town or to another state. Plan what days you want to photograph based on website predictions for peak color, and where you want to visit.
Scouting - They don’t hand out maps to the perfect photo, so you will have to find it yourself. That means scouting. Start visiting nearby locations before peak color to get an idea of what might work. For travel photographs, the middle of day light may not be the best for photographing, but you can use it to scout where you want to be at golden hour.
Technique - Polishing up your technique will make you ready for challenging circumstances. My Exposure Made Easy class will help you with most fall color photos, and I’m offering a last-minute session on September 24 so you can be better prepared.
O' Dark Thirty - Sunrise photography gives you a second chance at golden hour, typically has less wind than sunset, and offers a chance for frost. Scout out a location beforehand, so you don’t have to find the photo in the dark.
Sunrise/Sunset Times - Autumn brings shorter days. You’ll want to check sunrise and sunset times to plan your activities to get the most from each day.
Meal Times - If you are traveling for fall color, you’ll want to get the most from your trip. That includes adjusting meal times. What works for me is breakfast after the morning shoot, a large slightly late lunch, then dinner after sunset. And pack lots of snacks and caffeine drinks of your choice. In far-flung places, restaurants often close early, so be sure to check and have a plan.
Stop and Smell the Roses - Some of my most favorite moments in life have been spent just sitting in an Aspen grove in full fall color. Take some time to stop and soak it all in, maybe with a picnic lunch.
No New Gear - There is a temptation to rent or buy new gear for a trip. The problem is you won’t be fluent with this new gear, and that will lead to missed opportunities. It is better to have less equipment that you know really well than a lot of gear you are not familiar with.
I hope these tips help you, and if you want to share some of your own, put them in the comments below.