How to photograph autumn leaves | Seasonal Autumn Forest

Pick the right light

A grey, overcast day is one of the best times to photograph leaves. The soft light removes harsh shadows and glare, and the colors often look deeper than they do in sunshine. Early morning and late afternoon are good too, when low, warm light makes yellows and oranges glow. Midday sun is the hardest to work with, so if you're out at noon, look for leaves in the shade.

Shoot through the leaves

Stand so the sun is behind the leaves and photograph them from below or at eye level. Light passing through a leaf lights it up like stained glass and shows off its veins. Keep the sun itself just out of the frame, or partly hidden behind a branch.

Keep the background simple

A single red leaf against a dark trunk, blue sky or green moss stands out far more than a leaf lost in a busy scene. Move a step or two to change what's behind your subject.

Phone camera tips

Tap the screen on the leaf to focus, then slide the exposure control down slightly. Bright autumn colors are easily washed out.
Use the main lens rather than digital zoom; walk closer instead.
Portrait mode can blur the background behind a single leaf or branch.
Wipe the lens. Pocket lint is the most common cause of hazy photos.

Camera tips

A polarizing filter reduces glare on wet or waxy leaves and deepens sky and colors.
A wider aperture (smaller f-number) separates a leaf from its background.
Check the histogram so the brightest yellows aren't clipped.

Composition ideas

Fill the frame with the pattern of a single leaf.
Photograph a path covered in leaves, leading into the forest.
Look down: leaves on dark water, wet stones or moss.
Include a person in a bright coat for scale in a wide forest scene.
Return to the same spot each week to capture the change.

Be a good visitor

Stay on paths, don't break branches for a better angle, and leave the scene as you found it for the next photographer.