Autumn, the season of colour

Autumn has arrived with crisp mornings, a multitude of colourful leaves carpeting the pavements, and seasonal nuts and berries in abundance on trees and hedgerows. It’s a lovely time of year to photograph. The sunlight is less blinding than at other times of year, creating a softer, slightly golden hue to images. At this time of year, when not working on the administrative side of running a business, I love being out with the camera, capturing the essence of the season.

The following photograph shows a dog with her guardian. Some pictures don’t need to show all the details of everybody in the photo. The background scene and the expression on the dog’s face are enough to tell the story. Alert and focussed, she waits to see what the next game will be.

I like to photograph subjects at eye level (or sometimes lower), which means spending a lot of time crouched or on my knees when working with animals. I find this perspective gives a more personal feel to the pictures. The viewer feels they are looking with the subject, rather than looking down on them.

It’s not always necessary to show more than a silhouette to create the impression of the animal. The following photograph uses the sunlight as the backlight, creating an image which we know to be a German Shepherd. The dog’s guardians however recognise this as more than just a breed of dog. They see their charge, without needing further information in the picture. There’s more atmosphere within the backlit shadow than there would be if the dog was facing the sunlight and all his features were revealed.

As well as colourful photo opportunities, autumn leaves also provide a chance to have some fun. I’m not sure the dog in the following picture is going to catch any leaves, but she’s certainly having a good time trying. She has incredible elevation from a standing start!