FALL COLOR

DIGITAL SNAPSHOTS

By PETER WEINBERGER

With peak color arriving along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the next couple of weeks, tourists will flock to the mountains to take in the sights. Hugh Morton, who owns Grandfather Mountain, says that remnants of hurricanes have blown away most of the leaves at the highest elevations, but the rainy season will help the color below. While it may seem obvious how to photograph these beautiful scenes, there are several techniques to keep in mind.

Find the best locations

My two favorites are Rough River Ridge for landscapes, and Bass Lake for overall scenery. Both have easy access near the Parkway and Blowing Rock.

Start early, stay late

Morning and late afternoon sunlight will add a distinctive quality to your fall images. You can be more creative in your use of light.

Contrast colors

Including a green tree, blue sky or white cloud will add another visual element to your photos.

Shoot into the sun

When your camera is blocked by shade, using the sun to backlight colorful leaves will enhance the colors.

Turn the flash on when shooting portraits

With the sun out and so much bright color, using fill-flash will reduce shadows on your subjects.

Use the camera's manual settings

Two key adjustments are lowering your ISO (ASA) and underexposing the image -1/3. These add detail and saturation. If you can't do this, use the landscape scene mode setting.