Once again, that magical time of year is here, yes I am talking about Autumn in Michigan. From pics of Tahquamenon Falls or the Lake of the Clouds surrounded by the glorious reds and yellows of autumn trees, to farm fields in Central Michigan or historic downtown areas, I have learned that you can get beautiful pics anywhere in Michigan. Here are some of the tips I have learned over the years.
Take photos any time of day
I know you’re supposed to go out in the morning and evening in the “golden hour” but the leaves are at peak for only a short time, so don’t be afraid to take photos all day long, I found its best to have the sun behind you when you take photos, don’t shoot into the sun or the trees and barns will be in shadow.
Go out in all kinds of Weather
You know what they say” if you don’t like the weather in Michigan wait 15 minutes, it will change”. If it’s sunny and we have a nice sky then I will have a lot of sky in the photo such as farm fields or lakes. If it’s raining, then I find a location in a forest or a park with a canopy of leaves to cover the gray sky. Rainy days are also a good day to get photos of waterfalls in Michigan.
You don’t have to travel far.
I have finally learned to just go with the flow and take photos of fall colors whenever and wherever I see them. I don’t care if I am near my house or in downtown, or halfway across the state, I am going to take the photo that presents itself, To get the most time to photograph foliage, I start north and work my way to the south following the flow of the color as it canvases the state.
Don’t force a photo that isn’t there
maybe you have your favorite spot in Michigan, and you want a photo of it, but the color is not right, the sun is at the wrong angle and you take a photo and it just looks blah, then don’t spend a lot of time trying to make it happen and go down the road and try somewhere else, and come back to your favorite spot later, remember the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, maybe a different time of day will work better or even a cloudy day.
Take a tripod, but you don’t have to use it
I always have my tripod with me but I don’t always have to use it, if it’s bright and sunny then click away, if it’s gray and dark out, then yes it’s best if you drag out that annoying thing out and use it. At least take it with you and you will have it if you need it. And remember sometimes you can set your camera on a stump or railing and that may work to stabilize your camera for a few shots so you don’t have to spend time setting up a tripod.
Keep your camera with you at all times.
you should have a camera with you so when you do see a scene you like you can capture it, and it should not be that hard to have a camera with you, most cell phones have a pretty good camera in them and I have gotten some good shots with mine, you never know you might see something you like on the way to work in the morning, stop and get a pic.
Take lots of Photos
you have a digital camera right? Take lots of photos, yeah some will be better than others but only show and share your best, and learn from the ones you don’t like, is the sun behind you, was it raining, or cloudy, I found by taking lots of pics that I like the ones I got on rainy days and how to take them.
You may have noticed from my list, you don’t need lots of fancy gear and know all your camera settings, you just need to go out and take lots of photos with whatever camera you have. Go out and just enjoy your time getting Lost In Michigan.
Lost In Michigan Books are a great way to find interesting places to see and photograph on an Autumn trip. I hope you will take a look at them HERE
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