Getting intimate with fall photography

Fall is here. It's the season of change and the season of color, and every outdoor photographer is gearing up to add some new shots to his or her portfolio.

We've probably all seen and taken those traditional fall scenic shots. You know the ones I mean, those blazing yellow aspens against a blue mountainous horizon, or those vibrant orange and red maples reflecting on a glassy pond in a park.

While these are highly popular and almost always beautiful, your portfolio probably already has a number of these in stock. So why don't you try something new this fall? Let's step outside the broadness of the scenic landscape and get intimate! Let's get up close and personal with fall!

The concept of close-up photography is relatively basic; you are taking a photo of something from a short distance away. How short the distance can be is up to you and the capabilities of your equipment. But I'm not talking about macro photography. I'm not talking about magnifying an image so much that you can see the grooves on a butterfly's eyelash. I'm talking about stepping in closer to the traditional landscape scene and picking out more intimate scenes of fall.

The wet leaf

Let's start with an example, like the wet leaf shown in Figure A. Fall offers opportunities for great light, overcast days and even rain to saturate the colors, and walking along the edge of a lake or creek can promote many new options for an intimate photo. A wet leaf is a great place to start closing in. The color will already be saturated .because of the water and a single isolated leaf can make a dramatic photo.

You can choose a wet leaf laying on a rock, a leaf floating in a puddle or down the stream, a leaf full of rain droplets. Options are endless. Can't find a wet one? Grab a dry one that you like and make it wet.

Break the rules of natural nature, and pluck off your favourite shaped or colored leaf from where you found it. Throw it in a puddle, drape it over a wet rock or soak it with the hose if you have to. A little bit of glistening water can take this intimate photo to new heights.

The right light and a pile of leaves

Now, try getting close to the clutter. In fall the leaves are falling! They are likely to be swept, blown, or raked into piles. Get close to the pile and start shooting, like I did in Figure B.

Turn your camera this way and that. Zoom in and zoom out. Examine the textures. Pull out the colors. Seek the layers. Look for the best light. There is so much to be found just in a pile of leaves.

If you don't like your options, rustle up the pile and start again. A pile of leaves can be a never ending jigsaw photo. Move one leaf and the whole scene changes. Add a few leaves, different sizes or colors, and your options start again.

Here's a tip: bring something comfortable to kneel on because you could be there a while.

Eat your veggied (or photograph them, anyway)

If you're having fun with the clutter, don't stop there, because fall clutter doesn't have to be limited to leaves. This is also a great time of year to hit a country market or fruit stand.

Bins of fruits and vegetables are just beckoning you to photograph them. Zoom in on that bushel of shiny red apples, or go crazy with the pumpkin and gourd displays like in Figure C.

Fall produce is full of color and texture. Think of the many colors in the dried Indian corns, the lines and bumps on pumpkins and squash, the chaotic geometry of a box full of string beans.

Even a bale of hay can produce an interesting abstract composition when taken up close. You can spend all afternoon getting lost in the bounty of harvest.

Try using backlight

Because the sunlight of fall tends to be warmer in color, and less harsh than its former summer self, you can take advantage of all the golden hues that become even richer in this light. A great way to take advantage of this warm light is by doing some close up shots that are backlit.

Backlighting can add depth and intimacy in the same shot. Figure D shows a cluster of leaves, still clinging to the branches that are warmly lit up from behind, adding new shadows, layers and textures that wouldn't be visible if they were lit from the front.

Leaves are beautiful with back-lighting at any time of year, but when the light is softer and the colors so vibrant, there's no telling what sort of masterpiece you will be capable of photographing.

Don't be afraid to explore

If you're still struggling to get intimate with fall photos, then it's time to get creative. Look at the scenic landscapes you've already got and move in closer. A branch of brightly colored leaves cutting through that sapphire blue sky can come to life with texture even more than the photo of the whole tree.

Look around on the ground, too. Many mushrooms make their appearance in the fall and can make an interesting close up, especially if they are springing up through fallen leaves.

Leaves against bark or old dead wood like stumps or barns also make a nice composition. Perhaps you can't find this sort of combination. Well, there is no harm in creating it yourself. In Figure E, I took a small branch of vibrant red leaves and poked it into one of the cracks on a stump to make it look like it was growing straight out of the crack.

The red shiny leaves pop against the dead wood and the lines and textures on the stump add more depth to the overall scene. You are the artist. Bend the rules a bit and get creative with your compositions. Above all, have fun!

Here's another quick tip. While its not always convenient to use a tripod when you are photographing things down below you or on the ground, camera shake will likely be more visible in a close up composition than a broad scenic, so if possible, use your tripod for all these close up shots.

Becky Wolfe is a freelance photographer and writer in British Columbia.