How To Capture The Mood Of Autumn

10 evocative ways to convey the atmosphere of the year’s most spectacular season.

- Jon Adams and Andrew James

Autumn is the season photography was invented for. It extends from the tail end of summer greenery right through to frosty mornings; within those boundaries, a vast range of seasonal moods and experiences is just waiting to be captured by your lens.

To make the most of autumn’s awesome photogenic display, you have to be on the ball and ready to capture events as they happen, with an eye on the forecast and your camera kit at the ready. Here we suggest 10 great projects anyone can try, regardless of the equipment you have or your experience in using it. Follow us on our journey through the many moods of the season, and capture a portfolio of colour, energy and atmosphere.

We often think of autumn as the short period between leaves starting to change colour and those same leaves hitting the ground, but there’s more to it than that. Autumn is so bountiful for photographers that choosing just 10 projects seems awfully limiting – but these 10 will lead you onto new paths that are equally rewarding,

1 PACK THE FRAME WITH COLOUR

Set a wide aperture and create a frame effect that combines a focal point for the eye with an autumnal wash of colour

For vibrant, high-impact shots of autumn colours, overcast or even damp days are perfect. Although this seems counter-intuitive, a blanket of cloud provides low-contrast lighting and avoids the problems of extreme light and shade that sunny days bring.