20 top tips for...Autumn landscapes

Mark Bauer gives some expert advice to help you capture the vibrant colours of the landscape during the most photogenic season of the year

- Mark Bauer

With trees clad in golden foliage, lovely light and the promise of morning mist sitting in valleys, autumn is the favourite season for most landscape photographers.

And it's not just the rich colour palette of autumn foliage, there are many other factors that make it the most photogenic time of year for landscapes: the days are getting shorter, so you don't have to get up quite so early for dawn shoots, or stay out past closing time to capture the last drops of colour in the sky; with the sun lower, the light is attractive for more hours in the day; and high levels of moisture in the atmosphere, combined with cool temperatures overnight, means there is often the chance of an atmospheric layer of mist covering the land. The weather is less settled - passing showers and clearing storms make for dramatic light, with the possibility of a rainbow stretching across the sky to frame the landscape.

However, making the most of the stunning conditions in autumn can be challenging. You'll need to get your timing right - peak autumn colour can last just a few days before a storm strips the leaves from the trees and to catch the fleeting light between showers, so you'll need to work fast.

Woodland interiors

Autumn colour can be dramatic, with trees ablaze with rich reds and golden hues, so to make the most of it, head to your local woods and fill the frame with colour

1 BACKLIGHTING

One of the most atmospheric ways to capture autumn foliage is with backlighting. Get to the woods early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky, set up near the edge of the woods and shoot towards the sun. Its natural warmth at these times of daylight will enhance the colours of the leaves, which will positively glow as the light shines through them. The low sun will cast shadows, seeming to race towards the camera, creating a dynamic composition.