Autumn is such a colourful time of year and an ideal time to get out with your camera and get the creative juices flowing. I'd like to give you a few tips on how to get the most out of your camera, simple techniques can make all the difference. You may think you need a sunny day to capture the colours, this is only the case when it's early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low and the rays are shining through the trees, the examples above and below show how you can use this to your advantage. I've taken all the photographs in this newsletter with my Nikon D700 body and Nikon 24-120mm lens. The photograph above, which featured on SMS Creative Photography's Christmas card last year, was taken at the bottom of Merle Common Road as you join Red Lane, Oxted. Camera set at 200 ISO, shutter speed 1/100s aperture f5.6.

The above photograph was exposed at 200 ISO, shutter speed 1/200s and aperture F9.

HDR

The above photograph was taken using the HDR technique which I explained in this newsletter. I took 3 images at different exposures which were spliced together to give an even exposure, showing depth and detail, which otherwise would have been lost. You will always need a tripod for HDR. Cloudy Day Sometimes it's best to avoid shooting on a sunny day, the light can be too harsh, burning out the detail, a grey sky means you can make the most of the day with the soft light and more saturated colours. The example below shows how the grey sky lends itself to a wider range of autumn colours. This photograph was exposed at 1600 ISO 1/320s f18.

Frosty Morning

A crisp frosty morning is also a good opportunity, especially if it's a little misty too, it can add mood and atmosphere and soften colours, creating mystery. Think about how you would like to take the photograph, you don't have to take everything at eye level, squat down and use any pathways to take the viewers eyes into the photograph, it makes more of a story. Exposed at 1600 ISO 1/500s f8. I recommend you push the ISO so you can maintain a shallow depth of field.

Close Up

Get closer to the subject to pick up the texture and shape, this photograph was exposed at 800 ISO 1/200s at f5.6.

I hope this has inspired you to experiment with your camera this autumn, remember the clocks go back 1 hour this Sunday morning 25th October, an ideal opportunity to get out to capture the early morning sun and mist.

Thanks for reading I'll be back in two weeks time with more news.

Bye for now, enjoy the weekend.

Stella