Still leaves

It’s almost the end of autumn but there is still time to capture autumn colours.

It’s the beginning of November and soon all the leaves will have fallen. The beautiful displays in our woods and parks and on the streets will have passed and the trees will sleep through the dark winter until the spring.

Before the leaves have been cleared away or decayed into the forest floor, you have one last chance, with a bit of planning, to continue to take photographs of the autumn colours. And it’s a great opportunity to practice your skills as a still life photographer!

Autumn in the woods

It is a magical moment when you are outside in the woodland watching the colours change. You become a part of the place, breathing in and out with the wind in the trees and listening to the sounds of the forest. It can become almost a meditative process.

Last time I wrote about how you can capture the beautiful colours of autumn outside. If you missed the chance to get outdoors, don’t worry. You can continue to photograph autumn colours even after the leaves have fallen.

Capturing Autumn at home

When I am out photographing in autumn I like to collect fallen leaves as well as seeds and seed cases, especially horse chestnuts (conkers). Then when I get home I can recreate autumn as still life photographs on the kitchen table.

For me still life photography can also be a form of meditation. It’s when I have control over all the elements and can take the time to create the image I would like to see. My mind is focused solely on the process of creating the photograph.

The table is next to a large east facing window. Direct light spills in for a short while each day but I tend to find the best lighting is more indirect. I can also diffuse it more by pulling down the blinds. It throws an even light on the subject and provides some definition in the shadows.

I use a reflector to bounce some of the light back into the subject. A large white board can do the same thing. Use a different coloured board if you want to create a particular tint – gold can be useful for autumnal images.

Arranging the subject

Once you have your studio set up the next thing to do is to arrange your objects. This is where you can begin to disappear into the process of photography. As well as the leaves you might want to include other objects, that speak autumn to you, perhaps items of clothing such as gloves and hats – choose ones which fit in with the colour scheme for your composition.

If you can’t source all the objects yourself why not add some to your shopping list? This time of year is a great time for pumpkins for some reason!

You might also want something to act as a background. This could be something neutral and thrown out of focus to ensure your subjects stand out. Or it could be an integral part of the composition; maybe a piece of weathered wood or slate.

Setting up your camera

Now you’ll need to set up your equipment. You could photograph handheld but I tend to always use a tripod. This provides for a more stable image. Also, it helps makes the whole process more contemplative rather than the more reactive method of simply holding the camera.

For me the simplest layout for the images is from the top. I have an extension to my tripod that allows me to look straight down onto the table top. This does give equal prominence to all the objects as they will have similar lighting and focus. If you would like parts of the image to fall into shadow and out of focus you may prefer to photograph straight on, layering your objects.

Once you are ready, make the photographs!

If you have missed the chance to take photographs out in the woods in autumn this is one way to capture the autumnal feel at home. Or if you were lucky enough to get out somewhere, to hang on to the autumn colours a little bit longer.

I hope that you found this has given you a little inspiration to try your own still life photographs on the theme of autumn. If it has I would love to see them. If you share them on Instagram tag @stephentaylorphotography so I can see them. I’d also love to hear your own thoughts on creating still life photographs; please add them in the comments below.