When is the best time of day to photograph fall color?

There's no bad time of day to photograph fall color. As with most landscape work, the morning and late afternoon often provide the most interesting shadows. As veteran travel photographer Susan McCartney often points out, "It's best to photograph outdoors when your shadow is longer than you are." Early morning may bring fog or mist that will provide a soft background, along with long shadows. The rich golden light just before sunset transforms not only leaves on trees, but those on the ground as well. However, there are also opportunities mid-day. With the sun overhead, you can use backlighting to make leaves glow in your photographs, as in the photo above. Notice how the warm late afternoon light, coupled with the long shadows turns this field into a rich pattern of color. ... more

There's no bad time of day to photograph fall color. As with most landscape work, the morning and late afternoon often provide the most interesting shadows. As veteran travel photographer Susan McCartney often points out, "It's best to photograph outdoors when your shadow is longer than you are." Early morning may bring fog or mist that will provide a soft background, along with long shadows. The rich golden light just before sunset transforms not only leaves on trees, but those on the ground as well. However, there are also opportunities mid-day. With the sun overhead, you can use backlighting to make leaves glow in your photographs, as in the photo above. Notice how the warm late afternoon light, coupled with the long shadows turns this field into a rich pattern of color. What is the best lighting and weather for fall color? Once again, it really doesn't matter what kind of lighting you encounter. Each type of lighting offers different opportunities. If it's sunny, you get the benefi ... more