STEP By STEP / six steps to autumnal success

1 Auto ISO

The sun kept disappearing behind cloud and we were walking around underneath the trees, which were shaded and as such darker. So we shot in Aperture Priority mode with Auto ISO engaged to take as much of the guesswork away from ourselves as possible.

3 Check focus and histogram

After taking a few shots, go to Playback mode and zoom into the scene to check the focal point of your shots. You can check for clipped highlights. If the histogram shows the graph against the right edge of your histogram, then dial in some negative exposure compensation.

5 Try free-lensing

The autumn months provide the perfect opportunity to experiment with some wacky shooting methods. Free-lensing involves detaching the lens from the DSLR and angling it just in front as you shoot, which can produce some pretty abstract results.

2 Use the Live View

Our D750 has a flip-out LCD screen, so we used Live View and used it to reach odd compositions and perspectives. When you’re shooting at low angles or pointing the camera high into the trees, you’ll find it easier to shoot with Live View, rather than using the viewfinder.

4 Look for the details

Next, hone your composition. Try shooting vivid subjects against contrasting backdrops, or seek out frames within frames, like shooting through gaps in the trees to create bokeh around the edge of your image. Repetitive patterns, like piles of leaves and tree bark, also work well.

6 Enhance your colours

You may find that, due to the warm tones that autumn brings, your Nikon will struggle to decide on white balance. Use Cloudy white balance to add warmth to your shots. This doesn’t matter if shooting Raw, but is a must if shooting JPEG as you can’t change it later.