No, we’re not talking about pics of your friends falling over things! One of the most fun things you can learn in photography lessons for kids and teens is how to take advantage of the fall colors and create amazing photos.
Whether out in the field or editing online, photography for kids and teens is one of the best hobbies you can introduce your youngsters to. Why? It boosts their creative thinking, helps them to see things in a different way, and in the end, they’re creating art.
We’re heading into fall now, which is the season of pumpkins, apple picking, and cooler weather! But it also brings with it some fantastic opportunities for photography, so now’s the time to get your kids that camera (or get yourself that camera!) and spend some time outdoors!
What’s So Amazing About Fall Photography?
There’s no competing with the colors of fall! It’s a stunning time of year, filled with warmth, unique shades, and beautiful lighting. Which makes it the perfect season for photography.
There are a few common fall themes, aside from the warm colors. Pumpkins, warmer clothing, leaves, and of course, Halloween, are all elements of autumn that could be a lot of fun to photograph.
But don’t miss out on the opportunity to be creative! It can be easy to fall into the trap of just snapping away at leaves and pumpkins without thinking, but you’ll be missing many chances to think out of the box and set up creative autumn photos. See our tips below!
Fall Photography Camera Settings
Although the lighting is usually muted and the shades are stunning, you’ll need to get your camera settings right if you want to take autumn photos that pop and don’t fall flat. Here’s what we suggest.
Aperture Priority Mode
While street photography and sports photography work better with shutter speed priority mode, you most likely won’t be snapping pics of high-speed things at this point. For fall photography, we suggest choosing aperture priority mode on your camera.
The aperture is the opening in your lens through which light passes, and it’s measured in F-stops. It’s super for fall photos, not so much for the light, but because it allows you to control your depth of field—how blurry the background is.
A shallow depth of field is where a lot of the background behind your subject is blurred, and you can get this effect by using a smaller F-stop number. If you want most of your picture to be in sharp focus, use a bigger F-stop number. This is an easy way to get super creative with fall photos!
White Balance
Choosing the wrong white balance can dampen the colors of your fall pictures quite significantly. Most of the time, this is selected automatically for you. But if you really want warm-looking autumn photos, choosing your own white balance could help.
There’s no need to adjust it yourself unless you’re comfortable with it. What you should know is that increasing the Kelvin (its unit of measurement) makes the colors warmer—think orange, red. Decreasing it makes them cooler, blue hues.
But all you need to do is select a built-in preset that’s warm and pretty to add a bit of extra color to your pictures. Don’t overdo it—it should look natural.
Landscape Setting
Still getting used to F-stops and priority modes? No worries! You can simply flick your camera over to the “landscape” setting. This will automatically give you settings that are appropriate for the colors of nature!
Fall Photography Tips and Tricks
Fall photography lessons for kids and teens wouldn’t be complete without some practical tips and tricks! Once you’ve nailed down your settings, get out there into the world and start snapping away. Here are our best tips for making the most of the fall scenery.
The Rule of Thirds
This is an easy trick to get attractive pictures every time. Ever wondered why your camera has a little 9-block grid on the screen when you look through it? That’s to guide you to position your subject properly.
Rather than placing your subject smack in the middle of the frame, try placing it on places where the lines of the grid intersect or stretched across the side, upper, or lower strips.
This is called the rule of thirds, and it’s an excellent way to create a more visually pleasing and artistic photo. It also teaches you to make creative use of negative space!
Color!
Naturally, color is a big part of fall photography. It’s hard not to find beauty in the red and orange hues of nature! But look a little deeper to find the true, hidden colors of autumn.
Leaves are stunning just as they’re beginning to change color. Try to incorporate what people are wearing, the blue of the sky, or the color of water along with the typical fall colors.
The options are almost endless, and it’s an excellent chance to play with color. On the other hand, you may opt to go for more detailed photos in black and white… Which can be just as amazing at showcasing textures and detail.
It’s In the Details
Don’t just stick to photographing landscapes and trees! Our photography lessons for kids and teens will teach you to look at the small details that everyone else misses. These are the things that make for amazing, hidden gem photos.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Look at the picture below. Without the birds, it would be a little on the boring side. But just that one small detail takes it from okay to amazing!
The Golden Hour
Fall is beautiful at any time of day! But if you happen to love sunset or sunrise photography, this is the perfect season to get spectacular photos. The hours just before and just after sunrise and sunset are called the Golden Hours.
This is when the light is the best! It’s warm, it’s soft, and it makes for amazing photos, like the one below. Find the right location at this time and you’ll get spectacular pictures!
Use a Tripod
With your camera on aperture priority mode, the shutter speed changes automatically in response to your chosen F-stop. Remember, the higher the F-stop number you choose, the smaller the aperture opening. So the higher the number, the less light actually gets in.
In these cases, the shutter speed may compensate by dropping quite low, to allow as much time as possible for light to enter the lens. But this does mean that your pics can become a little blurred when you’re holding your camera by hand.
Using a tripod is an easy way to get rid of this issue! It stabilizes the camera so there’s no shake. But if someone walks in front of the lens or a pretty leaf falls from a tree, you may still get some motion blur.
Learning Online: Photography for Kids and Teens
Our photography lessons for kids and teens aren’t just about technical knowledge. We aim to get youngsters excited about the possibilities of photography, making memories, and creating art that they can look at and enjoy again and again.
Give your kid a creative head start by getting them a camera and sending them for some lessons! We’d love to show them the ropes. The world needs more photographers who see beauty in everything!