Photographing Fall in the American SouthwestFrom the alluring aspens of Colorado to the foliage-surrounded pueblos of New Mexico, David Akoubian captures autumn with his Tamron SP 24-70mm VC and SP 70-200mm VC lenses. |
Article by Jenn Gidman Images by David Akoubian |
One of the Southwest's most spectacular displays takes place every autumn: Whether it's the golden hues of Colorado's aspen trees, the cottonwoods along the highway to Taos, or the tallest sand dunes in North America in Great Sand Dunes National Park, photographers have limitless imaging opportunities at their fingertips. David Akoubian headed out to this natural nirvana during peak leaf-peeping season with his Tamron SP 24-70mm VC USD and SP 70-200mm VC USD lenses. |
"The range I'm able to get with these two lenses is perfect for this type of photography," he says. "With the wide-angle 24-70, I can capture that grand autumn landscape-it pulls in the entire picture. Plus, the 24-70 is so sharp and offers great contrast and saturation, which you want with fall colors. Meanwhile, with the 70-200, you can go in and isolate the landscapes a little more, draw out small parts of it for more intimate images." |
Using the lowest ISO setting possible on your camera and setting the white balance on the camera to the "Cloudy" or "Shade" setting can increase the saturation and warmth of the image. "Most cameras tend to compensate and make the image a little bit cool in fall foliage images," David says. "By putting the camera on a warmer setting, it compensates by adding some warmth back into the image and lends it an aesthetically pleasing mood." David also recommends using a polarizing filter for extra saturation and to cut down on glare, as well as a shutter release cable. |
Photographing the gorgeous golden foliage of the aspens in the Southwest draws plenty of leaf-peepers each year, and David tries to show them from a variety of perspectives: as part of a wider landscape, isolated along US Route 160, set against a clear blue sky. "So often with fall colors we concentrate so hard on the leaves that we tend to ignore the environment they're in," he says. "The beautiful thing about the aspens is how they appear against those blue skies, that complementary color that can help a composition so much."
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David experiments with compositional rules to enhance visual appeal-not only breaking up the image by physical plane, but by texture as well. "In my image of the landscape at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, I was able to use the rule of thirds to compose the picture in the traditional, physical sense, but also to show three different environments," David says. "I had this beautiful wheat grass in the foreground, then the barren landscape of the dunes and the swirling sands, which headed right up into the rocky mountains in the background. It's such a strong contrast that makes for an amazing visual." |
Knowing when the right light may hit is key to capturing certain shots in the Southwest. For David's sunrise image of the Garden of the Gods, a park in Colorado Springs replete with red-rock formations, he knew there was a limited window to capture the glow against the mesas at exactly the right moment. "We were waiting down in the shade, where it was so chilly," he says. "But I knew we had to be in position to get the shot I wanted. You have to figure out what composition you want to do really quickly, then wait for the light to hit. There's only a minute or so between when the sun comes over the horizon and hits the mesas just so-when it gets to the bottom of the rock, it disappears." |
Knowing the capability of his Tamron lenses helps him capture the beauty of fall with additional creative elements. "Sometimes when you're taking pictures of the fall landscape, it can be almost chaotic with all of the colors-you may want to add a focal point somewhere in the image," David explains. "For the picture of this Taos cottonwood tree, I knew I wanted to capture the tree defracting the sun through its branches. I was able to get that starburst effect because of the 24-70's nine aperture blades. The number of spires on the starburst is determined by the number of aperture blades, so in this image I was able to get 18 spires. A smaller aperture (say, F/22) will give you more of a starburst than F/5.6 will." |
Capturing fall colors against the backdrop of landmark locations allows you to highlight the beauty of the season while showing a history of place. "When you're driving the highway to Taos or anywhere in that area, you'll come across so many picturesque pueblos," David says. "They're often part of Indian reservations, so you will need to get permission to photograph on the land." |
David stopped by the San Lorenzo Church in the Picuris Pueblo and the San Francisco de Asis Church in the Nambe Pueblo, both home to the Tiwa Indians in New Mexico. He showcased the foliage and clear autumn skies juxtaposed against these structures by using a variety of perspectives. "Ansel Adams made the San Francisco de Asis Church famous by photographing it from behind," he says. "Every year, the Native Americans recoat the adobe on the church, so I thought it would be a nice opportunity to show some of those textures up close. I went off to the side a bit and positioned my camera with the 24-70 probably no more than 12 inches away from that first part of the church, showing the adobe set against that beautiful blue sky." |
To see more of David Akoubian's work, go to www.bearwoodsphotography.com. |