The days are getting shorter, the evenings possibly cooler and the colors are starting to change. These are sure signs that fall is on its way.
It’s such a beautiful time of year to get the camera out. So how do you go about editing your Fall photos so your colors pop?
Get out in nature
First things first; Get out in nature and capture those beautiful fall colors. Visit your own garden or your local nursery or garden center. Visit the local Botanic Park. Personally, I prefer to either go early in the morning and capture that gorgeous morning dew or late in the afternoon and capture those awesome deep shadows.
I honestly believe fall has the best light. If you really like dark and moody, like me, go in the afternoon when the sun is low. An added benefit is you get to sleep in!
Check your histogram
When you are shooting your image, don’t forget to check out the histogram. If your image is too dark or too light, the colors captured can sometimes be a little washed out. That doesn’t mean you can’t shoot dark and moody or light and bright. But too far to the left or right can make them difficult to recover. Once in your editing program of choice, check to see that there is an even spread through the middle area. Your channels should have a good spread as well.
A little saturation is a good thing
In your editing program of choice, I have used Lightroom Classic, you can boost your saturation and vibrance just a touch. In this example, I used +5. Don’t go overboard with the slider, as you can create banding and make the image look unnatural.
In the HSL panel, you can boost the saturation of various colors as well. For instance, I boosted the reds, oranges and yellows, enhancing the golden tones on this autumn leaf.
Another option is adding some color grading. This is a really great way to add some toning to your image via the color channels in your midtones, shadows and highlights. I added some reddish tones throughout the shadows and highlights of this image, just a touch. Again, moderation is key.
So next time you capture those stunning fall colors, don’t forget to edit them so your colors pop! Also, why not share them in our Photofocus Community?
