These days, it feels like photographing fall foliage is a very short-lived opportunity. The trees don’t keep their colors for long before the leaves drop. To take advantage of this small window of opportunity, it helps to have the right lens. The best landscape photographers know that both wide-angle and telephoto lenses make great photos. However, believe it or not, fall photography is about more than just landscapes. So, here are a few tips for better fall photography.
This piece is presented in partnership with TAMRON. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this post already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.
Shoot Low if You’re in the Forest
When you’re in a forest, you’re often surrounded by tons of trees that are shedding their leaves. Fall photography doesn’t just have to be about capturing the trees from above. Just think, if you look up, there’s an entire canopy of trees to check out. And if you’re using APS-C cameras, the Tamron 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens does a fantastic job here. So, don’t only shoot from eye level, but get low and point the lens upwards. Use your camera’s LCD screen to get a myriad of photos.
If you’re a Fujifilm user, combine this with the Velvia mode on your camera.
Don’t worry about getting your camera or lens too dirty either. This Tamron lens is weather-resistant and has dust, dirt and moisture protection built into its front fluorine-coated element. So it’s bound to survive being set on the ground for a little while.
As an extra tip, I like stopping the lens down, slowing the shutter speed, and lowering the ISO. Then I wait for the wind to make the branches sway so that they create an almost painterly look.
Try Shooting Vertical
Fall photography isn’t about just looking at everything horizontally. Consider shooting vertically. Lots of people forget about doing this. When you shoot verticals, people want to stare at your images longer on social media.
If you’re shooting vertical, the wider end can provide some cool effects towards the edges. If you want a very flat surface, then zoom in.
If you’re a Sony user, the image stabilization will really help if you’ve got shaky hands. Combine this with the VC technology inside specific Tamron lenses like the 18-300mm, and you’ll be well covered.
Don’t Forget the Details
With fall photography, don’t forget about all the little details in the scenes. You can use your new Tamron lens to go from photographing a crunchy leaf to stunning flowers in a few seconds. This lens can focus at pretty much macro distances (1:2 macro!) so use this to get in close and capture sights otherwise tough to behold.
Overall, we think the best tip for better fall photography is to go around with a sense of wonderment. That means you need to commit to a specific time to let yourself be distracted by what’s around you. Slowing down a bit really helps you create images with various compositions. And what better lens to use for choosing compositions than a nice zoom lens? Take a look at the Tamron 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens and see what it can do for you.
