01 Go minimal this autumn

Fresh ideas for one of the most photogenic times of year

Call it autumn or call it the fall, but John Keats’ “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” is one of the best times in the northern hemisphere to be out and about with your camera. This season, why not try a new creative twist on your autumnal shots? Serried ranks of golden brown and russet trees look very nice, but they will struggle to stand out from everyone else’s pictures.

One solution is to go for a more expressionistic look, an approach pursued with great success by landscape photographer Robert Birkby. “For a more minimalist look, don’t be afraid to experiment with wider apertures, focusing on the leaves and making sure you have a clean, non-distracting background,” he recommends. “All I used here was an 85mm portrait lens.”

For more general autumn shots, Robert suggests a polarising filter for naturallooking colours. “I prefer this to increasing the vibrance or saturation slider in software, which can give you artificial-looking results. Even if it’s overcast or raining, a polariser will help take the sheen off wet leaves, and make the colours pop.”

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* Timing is everything. Autumn lasts for several months, but the period when foliage colour peaks may only last for a few days. The last week in October and first week in November is often the best time in the UK, but this will differ for other regions, so check online for your vicinity. * Work with the weather. If the sun is shining, shoot towards the sun. Backlit autumn leaves appear to glow, and can transform a scene. * Early morning and towards sunset tends to give you the nicest light. * Instead of using auto white balance, try using a preset such as cloudy or shade to warm up the colours. Be careful not to go too over the top, though, as this can make the colours look too artificial. * The primary colours of autumn look stronger than pastel shades. Contrast colours in the same picture for impact.