HOW TO SHOOT THE MAGIC OF AUTUMN

12 inspirational projects to capture the drama and colour of the golden season, by Jon Adams and Andrew James

- Jon Adams and Andrew James

Every season of the year has its E pros and cons when it comes to photographic opportunities. but when you look at autumn's long list of benefits, you can understand why it's a time of year that has been getting creative people excited for centuries.

As the green canopy of summer begins to evolve into more muted but highly evocative oranges and reds, and the skeletal shapes of trees and woodlands start to appear, the transformation of the natural world seems made for inspirational photography.

With sunrise and sunset occurring at more civilised hours, and changeable weather that can bring glorious sunshine one minute and dark, stormy skies the next, autumn's appeal is undeniable. Of course, there are some downsides. Unpredictable and cooler weather can drive you inside - although on the upside, you can always take a little piece of autumn indoors with you and carry on shooting.

The real beauty of autumn is that often you don't need to travel that far in order to get the best shots. Whether you're just mooching around in your garden, or hunting the woodland floor for inspiration, there will always be great shots that are easily accessible.

On the following pages we're going to unpick this potential, explore some of the subjects you'll find, and reveal the techniques needed to capture them successfully. From detailed macro work where you control the light, to chasing elusive wildlife through the landscape and the delicate task of capturing fungi on the forest floor, we have 12 exciting photo projects for you to try.

Shooting leaves indoors is easy, but carefully placed water drops add key points of interest. An extra light source will enable you to take full control of your setup