Fall Season
There’s certain seasons that bring back memories of my childhood, moments that seem so long ago but seem like they were just yesterday. The fall season brings back so many great memories for me. It takes me back to my first year here in America, I remember being so amazed to see how the leaves were changing colors and I remember that cold breeze that would fill the mornings and late afternoons getting us ready for the winter ahead. I remember dressing up for halloween going door to door asking for candy. I remember staying up late at night watching horror movies my mom was asleep so she didn’t know, I was the one that suffer the next day as I couldn’t sleep the next day because of how scared I use to get. I became such a fan of horror movies, i’m always in the lookout for the next one coming to theaters. Yes, Is the only time I go to the theaters nowadays, just the other day I went to see the new terrifier. I appreciate the artistry and time that goes into making one of this film and I hope to one day be able to make movies myself. This is why I love the fall season so much, this year because of how far i’ve come in my photography journey I wanted to go all out.
It’s been such an amazing experience getting out there seeing the leaves change and seeing how much the morning changes. What do I mean by that? well, to my surprise sunrise in the summer adds quite a distinct glow from the sun and so far in the fall ive noticed that the sun is quite harsh when rising. The colors that the summer brings are there but only show themself for such little time and way before the sun comes up. Ive had to adjust quite a bit but that’s been the fun part of all this, every morning brings such a unique opportunity being at the right spot is essential.
Over the weekend I decided to go to DC to capture the fall colors along the national mall. I knew I wasn’t going to get there on time to capture the sunrise but that’s not what I was going there for, see I been exploring with light. I been manipulating light in ways to push and see how I can bring out the details in certain subjects. I been playing around with the sun to make my pictures look like paintings made from the light of the sun. This has brought a lot of creativity out of me, I may look crazy during the process but trust me there’s a reason for the madness. I have put the sun in front of me, on the side and also behind me each position has brought forth quite an experience that has made me be much more creative with my captures. Im glad I took on this challenge as its taught me to respect nature and the power the sun has over this world. I use to think the most amazing photos come when the sun is rising as it creates a beautiful glow and while yes, this is true once the sun comes up you have about a 2 hour window when the light is soft and with the right positioning can bring your subject to life.
If you have seen my moments captured portfolio you can see the results each captured offers a glimpse of my way of thinking when framing my photos. While light is important I think your environment is very important. Think of it like a painter getting ready to paint on a white canvas, most painters make a frame that draws you to the center making your subject pop and bring it to life on the painting. That is my thought process when capturing my photos, I look for lines, leaves, or shapes to draw the attention to my subject. A tree and its leaves can be a perfect subject but you can also just get down low to the ground to emphasize the height of your subject and get the same effect in your photos. I have been experimenting with different angles and also experimenting with my environment. I have use trees to block the sun directly and have the rays of the sun to illuminate my subjects. I have also use tree branches to use the leaves as the frame. I have use leaves to block the sun directly in front of my so the light barely peaks and illuminate the color of the leaves. This is my thought process while framing my photos so sometimes I look crazy because I go quiet to give myself time to think and process what I want to show on my photo.
Once is framed all I have to do is make sure my settings are right and all that’s left is pressing the button and capturing the photo. Well that’s not exactly all that goes into it, once you get home you have to export the photos and start the editing process. This is the hardest part for me as I have a difficult time remembering how the scene looked to make the necessary changes to bring that scene to life. What if I raise the shadows and lower the highlights? what if I add some contrast or raise my exposure? what if I make the scene warmer to emphasize the light coming from the sun? what if it needs more saturation or more vibrancy? this is what I start to think as I go to edit. My editing has improved quite a bit as I found a formula that’s been working for me and I have save it as a preset, all I have to do is load the presets ive made and make the necessary tweaks from there. If you are struggling with editing try to find the settings you like and saved them as a preset it will save you so much time and will make your editing more consistent.
What is your favorite part of the fall season? What is your favorite season? I would say close second for me is the spring I just hate the allergies. If you haven’t yet make sure you check my moments captured portfolio as I have clean it up quite a bit and I will be updating it constantly which means some photos will go away as I want the best of my photos there. I have enjoyed putting that portfolio together is one of my favorites for sure, I hope you enjoy!
