The fall foliage season begins on Long Island in mid-late October, and can last into mid-November, or even later weather doesn’t bring heavy windy rain storms too early. The blaze of color we enjoy as we commute to work is certainly a treat for the eyes, but capturing such beauty in compelling images can be a bit of a challenge. The reds tend to over-saturate and even blow out if they are over-exposed even slightly, and the even the yellows can be difficult in strong light. So, to play it safe under-expose your images by 1/3 – 1/2 stop (use your exposure compensation setting), and in some cases even a full stop of the negative EV is warranted.
Another technique to help your colors really pop is to use a polarizer. This is usually used to remove reflections on water and in glass, but it also helps accentuate the blue of the sky and the reds and yellows of the leaves.
After getting the exposure properly set, watch for your composition next. It is very easy to miss the stray power line, or car roof in our haste and excitement to capture the photo. So, check the edges of your image to make sure there is nothing that would detract from the photo when you print it out.
If it turns out Mother Nature has dropped the leaves before you were able to get out and shoot, all is not lost. Look for carpets of fallen leaves along paths and on grassy areas. These will make lovely backdrops to a still life of harvested bounty such as Indian Corn, mini pumpkins and hay bales. If you can’t find a carpet of leaves, look for colorful stragglers that you can zoom in close on. If you light it from the side (easy to do as the sun sets), the texture of the leaf will add interest to the photo.
Do you have favorite Fall Foliage images to share? Post a link to your gallery in the comments section. Happy shooting!
Lake Maratooka, Mattituck
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
Maratooka Lake, Mattituck
Belmont Lake State Park, Babylon
