Why I love autumn and why it's great for photography?

I don't know about you but I have my favourite season (it's autumn) and there's a reason why. I don't like it too hot (anything over 30 degrees Centigrade is too much for me) and I don't like it too wet. Autumn is just about right for me, at least here in the UK.

I love autumn for other reasons too. I love the changes we see in the environment, the leaves changing colour and then carpeting the ground with trees transformed into weird and wonderful graphic shapes. I love the crisp mornings with lots of sun and blue sky. I love it even more when you get the morning mist and the low sun sending sunbeams through the trees or obscuring valleys.

I could go on but I am sure you get the picture! So, what will you be shooting this autumn or have you already begun? If you have a blog or online gallery why share a link in the comments and let others see the fruits of your labour. I might even do a mini review on this blog!

So, what tips can I offer to help to help you get the best out of autumn as far as your photography is concerned? Here's a short list:

1. Get up early! I find this the most difficult as I am more of night owl but early mornings as the sun is rising provide great opportunities for fantastic shots, especially if the mist hasn't cleared.
2. Wrap up well as it can be quite chilly in the early morning. However, chilly means more chance of mist and fog and therefore possibilities for that iconic shot of sunlight streaming through the misty forest!
3. Take a tripod if you want shots with good depth of field as the light levels can be quite low. If your camera has good image stabilisation then you may get away without a tripod but a small, light and portable one can offer more creative possibilities.
4. Check the times of sunrise and sunset and plan to be at your target location in good time to find the right spot and have plenty of time to set your shots up. 
5. better still, use an app like The Photographer's Ephemeris® (TPE) which can give you all sorts of useful info on where the sun will rise and set in your location. For more info on the app, visit the publisher's site here: http://photoephemeris.com/
6. Be patient. Take you time and be willing to stand around waiting for the right moment or maybe even to have to come back another day if things don't pan out.
7. Make sure you are familiar with your camera and its settings. Know in advance what settings and lenses you are going to use. If you have two camera bodies it will be useful to have one with a wide-angle attached and the other with a zoom lens, say 70-210mm (35mm equivalent).
8. If you are hoping to catch some shots of wildlife then you will need a longer lens, say a 300mm or longer. Deer can often be seen about in forests during the early morning and make great subjects. However, they can be very nervous and prone to move away from the least noise. Also, you may need other equipment so as camouflage clothing or even a postable hide.
9. Experiment - maybe you are a landscape photographer who likes to take wide shots. Why not try some macro shots of plants such as fungi or fallen leaves with ice on them?
10. Finally, learn from others. Check online forums and galleries. Sites like Flickr and ViewBug are great to look at what images make a great photo. Learn techniques from others, either online or at your local camera club.

Hopefully you will find these tips helpful. Do post in the comments if you have images to share that are autumn related.

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