We've probably all seen and taken those traditional fall scenic shots. You know the ones I mean, those blazing yellow aspens against a blue mountainous horizon, or those vibrant orange and red maples reflecting on a glassy pond in a park.

While these are highly popular and almost always beautiful, your portfolio probably already has a number of these in stock. So why don't you try something new this fall? Let's step outside the broadness of the scenic landscape and get intimate! Let's get up close and personal with fall!

The concept of close-up photography is relatively basic; you are taking a photo of something from a short distance away. How short the distance can be is up to you and the capabilities of your equipment. But I'm not talking about macro photography. I'm not talking about magnifying an image so much that you can see the grooves on a butterfly's eyelash. I'm talking about stepping in closer to the traditional landscape scene and picking out more intimate scenes of fall.

The wet leaf
Let's start with an example, like the wet leaf shown in Figure A. Fall offers opportunities for great light, overcast days and even rain to saturate the colors, and walking along the edge of a lake or creek can promote many new options for an intimate photo. A wet leaf is a great place to start closing in. The color will already be saturated .because of the water and a single isolated leaf can make a dramatic photo.

FIGURE A

Here we have a simple wet leaf in shallow water. Click picture for a larger image.

You can choose a wet leaf laying on a rock, a leaf floating in a puddle or down the stream, a leaf full of rain droplets. Options are endless. Can't find a wet one? Grab a dry one that you like and make it wet.

Break the rules of natural nature, and pluck off your favourite shaped or colored leaf from where you found it. Throw it in a puddle, drape it over a wet rock or soak it with the hose if you have to. A little bit of glistening water can take this intimate photo to new heights.

The right light and a pile of leaves
Now, try getting close to the clutter. In fall the leaves are falling! They are likely to be swept, blown, or raked into piles. Get close to the pile and start shooting, like I did in Figure B.

FIGURE B

There is so much to be found just in a pile of leaves. Click picture for a larger image.

Turn your camera this way and that. Zoom in and zoom out. Examine the textures. Pull out the colors. Seek the layers. Look for the best light. There is so much to be found just in a pile of leaves.