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| Ashuelot River Contrasting Color |
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| Hancock New Hampshire |
The early color of autumn is beginning to show and I’m
getting excited about my Third Annual Fall Foliage weekend workshop. As always, it will be over the weekend after
the Columbus Day weekend, October 12th-14th. It is impossible to predict the extent and
location of the best color, but I already know that the workshop will include a
great group of photographers. We have
just a couple of slots still open, but the list is already full of friends from
my previous classes and workshops. Suckers
for punishment. With the season fast arriving, I thought it would be a good
time to review a few of the photographic essentials which are especially
important when capturing fall foliage.
Here are five things to consider as you get out to enjoy this special
time of year.
1) Polarizer
With the possible exception of a camera, a polarizing
filter is the essential piece of equipment for fall foliage photography. A
polarizer is designed to cut through reflections. Direct sunlight reflecting
off most surfaces becomes polarized to a specific angle which can be filtered
by rotating the polarizer to block that angle. The degree to which a polarizer
can filter out the glare is related to the direction of the light, being most
effective when it is at 90 degrees to the subject. On the other hand, when the
light is coming from behind or directly in front of the camera, the effect is
essentially nonexistent. The filter is great for
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Sometimes you need reflection
No polarizer |
darkening skies, seeing beyond
reflection into the depths of lakes and streams, but for fall foliage, its most
significant effect is to improve the color saturation of the leaves. It is
often noted that the ability of a polarizer to block reflection is one of the
few filter effects that cannot be duplicated by digital editing and it is for
that reason that it is considered THE essential filter and it is why my
polarizer stays on the camera for most of the autumn.
The best approach is to get a
polarizing filter and start experimenting and don’t skimp on quality. A high end, multi-coated glass filter is
best. You will be using it a lot.
There are just a few additional points about the use of this most essential accessory.
- First, there are two kinds of polarizers, linear and
circular. Without descending into a swamp of unnecessary detail, you
should know that linear filters can adversely affect your camera's
auto-focus or metering. Only use circular filters.
- Given the optimal orientation to the
sun, polarizers can dramatically darken a blue sky, and this is often the most
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| Polarizer sky gradient |
obvious effect as seen through the viewfinder. Because the polarization effect
varies with the angle of the sun, the darkening of the sky can vary dramatically
across the sky, especially when wider angle views are used. It can produce
an interesting, but unnatural gradient of brightness. One solution is to avoid
the use of a polarizer when wide angle views are captured. Another is to stack
two images, one with polarization and the other without, and then blend the
images to avoid the brightness gradient in the sky. I will often reduce the
polarization in these situations, but there are post-processing techniques which
can smooth out the brightness gradient. A polarizer should not be used when
shooting multi-image panoramas, since the effect will vary from image to image,
making smooth blending very difficult.
- By its nature Polarizers require frequent rotation and
it is possible to inadvertently unscrew the filter, occasionally leading
to a disastrous drop to the ground. Trust me, I know from painful experience. To avoid
accidents, I try to rotate the filter only in the clockwise direction,
keeping the filter tightly attached.
- Finally, it is important to remember that polarizers
reduce exposure by 1 - 2 stops. In low light situation the filter's effect
may not be worth the loss of light.
2) Avoid
Color Mush/ Zoom in
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| Nice color, but mush |
I must confess
that I generally hate pictures of broad hillsides dominated by a chaotic blend
of fall colors. No matter how richly saturated, I get a bit dizzy as my
eyes have no idea where to go. With fall foliage, the smaller you go, the
easier it is to create an image that draws the eye to a strong center of
interest. The guidelines of good composition apply equally for small
subjects as they do for grand landscapes.
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| Drawing the eye |
As I drive the autumn backroads, I am
always scanning for these small tableaus, or features that draw the eye, usually with a strong single color
and contrasting elements. Often a couple of brightly colored leaves can be more
dramatic than a whole hillside of reds and golds. On my way to Harrisville a couple of years
ago I saw this simple combination of bright red and gold leaves splashing
behind a white birch trunk. All I needed was a simple two image focus stack to
get both elements in sharp focus.
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| A splash of color, Reading Vermont |
3) Manage Bright Sunlight
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| Shade and Back-lighting |
Despite what visiting city-folk think, we photographers know that bright mid-day sunlight is the worse time to shoot fall foliage. The reflections off the leaves dulls the colors and the high contrast hides much of the foliage in impenetrable shadow. As I discussed, a polarizer can help, but you can also look for areas of shade to soften the light. For me, the best approach to bright days is to take advantage of back-lighting or trans-illumination. Capturing light coming through the foliage is like flipping an electric switch. Even modest early color can appear brilliant. Looking into the sun, you may also catch a star-burst of light.
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| Back-lighting on a sunny day |
Overcast
Light
Cloudy skies, mist and even
rain are great times to get out and capture the foliage. The diffuse, soft
light eliminates reflections and allows the color to shine through. Sadly, wind and rain also tend to knock the
leaves to the ground, but while it lasts, foul weather is great weather to
capture the full beauty of the season.
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| Overcast Light |
A couple of years ago, I was
cruising central Vermont for foliage. The weather began bright, but, as is
often true, the clouds gathered as the day progressed. As I explore the road
through Pomfret I found this old barn engulfed in foliage that was enriched by
the soft light. Even in the overcast my polarizer helped to bring out more of
the deep colors.
5) Autumn
is about more than color
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| Keene's Farmer's Market |
New England Autumn is about much
more than the crazy brilliance of our trees. Visitors and natives alike miss
most of the best features of the New England autumn by focusing only on the
foliage. The season is also defined by the activities that are unique to our
harvest time, the sounds and smells as well as the sites of this dramatic,
fleeting time of climatic transition. Most of all, the fall is a time to enjoy
the people of New England. We are often a quiet, guarded lot, but something
about the nip in the air, and the impending winter, can bring out personal
interactions that are, almost, cordial.
Take a hike, visit a farm stand, or immerse yourself in the excitement
of a harvest festival or craft show. All
these provide great photographic opportunities without a leaf in view.
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| Hiking the Monadnock-Wantastiquet Trail |
I predict that it is going to be a
spectacularly beautiful fall foliage season.
It often seems that the brighter the color, the shorter the season
lasts, so don’t miss a day. I hope these
tips will help and get in touch soon if you are interested in joining us for
the foliage workshop.
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| Abby and Samantha - A "Few" years ago |
