The River Hodder, at an especially picturesque spot at Whitewell near Clitheroe.

Autumn has arrived, bringing a delightful splash of colour to our woodland. From what I experienced yesterday (and to make up for the dismal summer weather), it looks like it might be a particularly colorful one.

Striking autumn colours in the Ribble Valley.

Autumn is my favourite time of the year to be out and about with my camera. Getting really great shots isn’t as easy as you might thing though, especially if you are ‘going in close’… Firstly, if you are amongst trees (as you probably will be), the light may be low and you will need a longer exposure and either a tripod or very steady hand. If it’s breezy (as it often is at this time of year), you risk blur due to the movement. You then have a dilemma; if you increase camera sensitivity (ASA in old money!) you will start to compromise some of the fine detail and your picture will look ‘grainy‘ if you blow it up.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My suggestions: think light and contrast. A ‘wall’ of gold and brown leaves might look nice to the eye, but can look bland in a photograph. Try to find contrasting colours. It really needs to be sunny (which isn’t something photographers often want).

Striking colours; a Japanese Maple against a contrasting backdrop of yellow.

Try to get the sun on the leaves or the sun shining through them (backlit). It’s a matter of trial and error, but prepare to persist. As with most photography, you should experiment with increasing and decreasing exposure (‘bracketing’). Sunshine after a shower will help bring out the colours even more. Look out for reflections in still water; there’s nothing nicer. Finally, why not find a really stunning leaf and (if your lens will allow) go in close on it.

My final comment on capturing autumn colours… Don’t just rely on Photoshop back at home to whip up the colour saturation. That’s cheating(!!) and probably won’t look natural anyway. Apart from occasional subtle adjustments to exposure and contrast and a bit of cropping, my photography is ‘organic‘ (as is the in new word).

On my way home, I made a short detour to the pleasant market town of Clitheroe. There are great panoramic views to be had from the castle, but I chose to grab a parting shot of the castle silhouetted against a lovely sky. I deliberately under-exposed to give a lot of detail to the sky.

Atmospheric: Clitheroe Castle.