10 Photo Ideas for Fall

Fall is around the corner and just as with any season that is starting, we need a little inspiration for venturing out with our cameras. I have said it before and will gladly repeat it: fall is my favorite season. Especially the transitional period between summer and fall. There is just so much to experience during this time. I hope to share some of my favorite photo ideas for fall with you. Hopefully you will find them inspirational.

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Photo Ideas for Fall

1. Apples and other Fruit

It's Apple picking season and therefore they should be included in your photos. Fresh picked ones are the best, but I think these small and slightly less perfect ones i found in the forest work as well. Give them a nice rustic background, like wood or a nice old fashioned bowl. Of course, choose to depict fruit that is in season. It's just amazing to look back at the seasons in terms of fruits and vegetables (like pumpkins in fall).

2. Rustic Charm

Venture out into the countryside for fall. You will get much prettier sights then in the cities. As the warm summer season ends, the real work begins here. You can capture activity, as well as quiet moments which are usual for this time of year. But you don't have to necessarily capture whole villages, look for other rustic details as well. Look for barns, wooden doors, strokes of paint, rust or animals.

3. Moody Skies

As the weather is changing, don't be alarmed if clouds cover up the inviting light of the sun. Try to use them to your advantage. Having moody and/or dramatic skies can add that touch of much needed drama to otherwise boring landscapes. Of course if you need a little post-production help in bringing out the drama, you will find a great dramatic landscape tutorial on this blog.

4. Mountains

Not only is this a great time of year to venture out into the mountains, they will start changing color as well and give you many interesting locations to photograph. Look for animal life as well, as most of the animals are preparing for the long winter sleep ahead. Also, go out into deep woods and forests (be safe about it of course), to get moody woods, vibrant leaves, fog or sunset shots.

5. Halloween and Spooky Sights

It's the season of the witch and spooky times are ahead for Halloween. Capture colorful costumes and Halloween decorations. And if Halloween is not celebrated in your parts of the world (like it isn't here where I live), try to capture the spirit of Samhain by shooting graveyards, dark woods and city streets, lonely fields, paths, spooky looking houses, old things, and so on. I love the chill you get when you stare at a slightly unusual image.

6. Home and Decor

Staying inside can be very cozy and calming in the fall season. As the days get shorter and colder, we look for light and warmth inside the house. Capture family gatherings, celebrations, solitary enjoyments, like a warm cup of coffee or cocoa. This is also the time of year when houses have fall colored decor like pumpkins, candles, place settings, flowers and many more.

7. Harvest

Whether you are in the countryside for harvest or are just visiting the local Farmers market, it is the time of year, when the fruits of the long summer season are reaped. Try venturing out into the countryside for harvest time, or make a visit to a apple orchard and pick the fruit yourself. Lots of great activity shots can be taken at this very moment.

8. Trips and Outings

Cooler days are a perfect opportunity to go out and rediscover near sights. Maybe there is no time for a long vacation, but try to get as many weekend trips under your belt before winter is around the corner. I love fall the most when it comes to venturing out. In spring, my allergies can get in the way, and summer is just to hot here. So make it your mission to capture your trips and outings. Remember, you don't have to travel far to enjoy yourself and bring home great photos.

9. Windy Days

It's hard to evoke the sound of nature, but there is just something so therapeutic and calming about windy fall days, so you have to try it. Woods are the perfect place for photos like these. Show the grandeur of nature, solitary moments, and with some luck, the fall winds rushing through the leaves. If your photo camera has a video setting, it's time to turn it on, or go for a fantastic timelapse composition that shows movement.

 

10. Colors of the Season

This list would not be complete without the mentioning of the amazing fall colors. Try to get them as early as possible, as it seems to me, that by the time they become strikingly obvious, they disappear in the blink of an eye. From red, orange to yellow, nature shows, that there is no better way to display vivid colors. Shoot woods and forests, but also city streets that have trees, or try a solitary tree like in the image above.