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Each season has its unique
characteristics but autumn provides the photographer with a range of
colors that lend themselves immediately to composition. Of all the
seasons it is the one that lasts the shortest. Just when a tree is at
its peak a strong gust of wind can blow off most of its leaves leaving
it stark and bare. For autumn photography, even without wind a tree will take a little over two
weeks to shed its leaves so it is important to seize the opportunity
quickly for photographing these tremendous colors. As well as
photographing large swathes of broad leafed trees try to look for spots
of isolated color to provide contrast. These might be provided by a
lone tree set in a landscape or a single leaf blown onto the ground.
Experiment by being aware of situations from different angles. Looking
up towards a blue sky can make a wonderful backdrop to golden leaves,
while the use of a wide angle lens in a forest can, from a low
viewpoint, make trees appear to soar skyward.
Photographing autumn leaves
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Try to place leaves together an examine
the contrasts in their color, shapes and sizes.
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Consider what the leaves might look like
backlit.
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When photographing leaves in close up so
that the detail of the veins as well as the color becomes a vital part
of the image, extension rings or bellows will probably be necessary.
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When backlighting leaves or photographing
from very close up, the leaf must be kept still. Some sort of windbreak
may be needed; alternatively a modest lighting set up can be erected
indoors and the leaves arranged there. Whichever method is used, always
watch out for large uninteresting shadows; these may not be very
noticeable at first, but once photographed in close up a small area may
look ugly if one leaf casts a long shadow onto another.
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