Tips for Stunning Fall Photos

This year fall is slowly making her appearance in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. With her late arrival, I'm going to bet that this season will be shorter than usual, as that snow is always super eager to blanket those mountain peaks as soon as possible. But, as long as the colour holds, you can bet I'll be out looking for those colourful fall scenes. So how do I do it? What am I looking for? How can a landscape photographer make the most of the fall season, especially when this season is so short? 

1. Prioritize locations with deciduous vegetation 

Most of you will agree that location matters in landscape photography. Here in the Canadian Rockies, we have plenty of beautiful coniferous forests, which remain green regardless of the time of year. So during the fall season, you'll find me seeking out colourful deciduous meadows and larch forests. Larch trees are coniferous trees; however, their needles turn yellow in the fall, and they put on a showy display of breathtaking beauty that's a feast for any photographer's lens. 

^{ISO 64, 22.5mm, f9, 1/80 sec}

2. Look for cool-warm contrasts

Cool colours recede into a photograph, while warm colours advance visually. Including warm and cool colours within a landscape photo can infuse beautiful visual depth. Cool-warm contrast within an image also suggests a clash between opposites and can add storytelling elements within the simplest scenes. This fall season, be on the lookout for how you can create images with cool-warm contrast.  

^{ISO 400, 150mm, f2.8, 1/250 SS} 

3. Explore Creativity 

Variations in shutter speed are one of the ways a landscape photographer can infuse creativity into landscape photography. During the fall season, don't hesitate to play around with different shutter speeds in locations. Wind-swept elements like grasses, water and even intentional camera movement can infuse a beautifully unique look into colourful landscape scenes during this time of the year. 

^{ISO 100, 70mm, f16, 5 sec}

4. Isolate details

Who doesn't love a pop of colour? There is no better time of year to capture the colour pops of fall displays in your landscape images. However, now is not the time to forget about your telephoto lens. Isolating that single fall element via telephoto perspectives is a beautiful way to showcase this season's glory. 

^{ISO 800, 70mm, f8, 1/200 SS}

Fall is one of the best seasons to enjoy colour and contrasts, so be sure to head out and look for these unique photo opportunities. 

Are you interested in a private custom photography tour of all the best fall locations in the Canadian Rocky Mountains? Check out my private custom photography tour packages. Learning photography in person is the fastest and easiest way to develop your skills and creative approach to landscape photography.