Autumn Photography Tips

Nights are getting shorter and the pumpkin spice is brewing at your local coffee shop. That means the leaves will be turning soon and photography options will be bountiful. Here are some of my favorite spots and some tricks for your photography bag

Waterfalls

Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania

Wait for a rainy day and go out and capture a waterfall with leaves still on the trees and covering the rocks and ground. Bring a circular polarizer filter to help with reflections and to slow down your shutter speed to capture the smooth water flow. Try a one second exposure.

Forest

Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia

Go to the forest like the one above at Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia even during a cold wet morning you can find amazing images in the forest. Look for fog or stay under the canopy looking for those bright color trees.

Go for a hike

Watkins Glen State Park, New York

Go for a hike in the woods and look down on the ground for leaves like the one in image at Watkins Glen State Park. Zoom in and shoot just the one leaf or maybe find one still hanging on a tree.

Back Light

Sunrise at Prince Gallitzin State Park

I always enjoy looking at the fall foliage with the sun behind a tree that makes the colors even more vibrant. This shot at Prince Gallitzin State Park came alive after the fog burned off the lake when the sun rose over the mountains. Go enjoy those sunrises and sunset that create these bright scenes.

Look UP

Nathan’s Divide Nature Center

Looks up and find some leaves above you in front of a blue sky. It took me a few minutes of shooting this tree to find this angle. Remember to slow down and look all around when shooting. Look up, look down, and look all around. That image might be behind what you are shooting.

Upcoming Art Festival Schedule

September 18-19    New Germany Arts Festival
September 25         Ebensburg Potato Fest
October 2-3             Bedford Fall Foliage
October 9-10           Bedford Fall Foliage

Check out more images on my website https://www.brandonhirt.com/

Cheers,

Brandon

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Brandon Hirt Opening Reception March 4 1-3 Pm

Opening Reception this Saturday!
The Community Arts Center is thrilled to announce our 2nd Gallery Exhibit of the year, Luminous Landscapes, a photography exhibition by local artist, Brandon Hirt.
An opening reception will be held this Saturday, March 4 from 1pm – 3 pm, with a Gallery Talk with the photographer at 2pm.

Luminous Landscape at Community Arts Center

Central Pa Live Interview

 

Brandon Hirt Photography Top 10 of 2016

10. Ohiopyle Snow

I was on my way to take photos of Cucumber Falls at Ohiopyle State Park but while I was walking around I looked up the hill side to see the fog rolling in. This made a really interesting image.

9. Glendale Night

Prince Gallitzin State Park is one of my favorite fishing destinations. Being in the middle of almost no where helps to see the stars and the Milky Way.

8 Assateague Lighthouse

Chincoteague Island on a bluebird morning during Easter weekend in Virginia we walked around Chinocteague to its famous lighthouse. The line was long to go inside so it made me look up and capture the lighthouse from the base looking up.

7 Big Ben and Friends

Baby Ben and his friends in the pasture checking out what was going on during Vale Wood Farms famous Pumpkin Patch

6. Laurel Highlands Sunrise

Hiking out to Beam Rocks on the Laurel Ridge Trail the sun poked in and out of the trees so this was a moment that the destination but the experience along the way was the photo.

5. Indian River Morning

Driving from Dewey Beach to capture the sunrise in Bethany Beach I found the moon super pleasing to the eye. I was going to stop at the Indian River Inlet to get a couple images of the bridge during dawn. When I arrived I noticed the moon would look cool with the lines of the bridge

4. Fair Night

My favorite night of the year it is the fireworks at the Cambria County Fair. So many lights and fried food smells. Deep Fried Oreos and Tripods.

3. Dewey Beach

Stars came out on this clear night with the light of Rehoboth Beach in the distance.

2. Blackwater Falls State Park

The famous waterfall that every photographer has in a 5 state radius. It does take some careful walking down to but it is rewarding. This is what happens when you visit a spot multiple time you start looking for a new perspective after capture the shot. The swirl in the same pool with a few fall leaves in it is the true story so I wanted to make it the main focal point. So I used my 70-200 instead a wide angle to capture the swirl

1.Ebensburg Night

Wheels and Wings is an exciting night to capture all the bikes and characters that show up. Usually a street that is quiet at night becomes busy. I have always stayed on the sideline to capture the car lights but I noticed a sign put up to slow traffic. No better place to put your camera and tripod. I always wanted to capture the traffic go towards you on one side and away on the other side. Using a remote shutter release. I was able to stand on the side walk and watch this truck go with in inches of knocking over the sign and my camera.

Lake Raystown Resort Art Open October 17, 2015

I will be hosting a night photography workshop at the Lake Raystown Resort Art Open on October 17, 2015! We will shoot campfires and stars. So bring your tripod and camera to join in the fun. Just interested in creating? Plenty of workshops all day long to check out.