Pro Photo Tips by Talor Stone

Capturing the Passage of Time

By Talor Stone

Fall represents a time of transition as one season shifts to the next in spectacular fashion. As the leaves change into their festive colors and decorate the treetops and forest floors, what once was makes way for what will be come spring. For me, this season of change has always been about the story of the passage of time – something we humans often dread, but the forest shows us that it can be both beautiful and graceful.

In photography, few natural elements showcase the passage of time as well as fall foliage and flowing water. For this reason, I often seek to include water elements in my fall imagery. Through the power of long exposure, the camera is able to capture what the eyes cannot and the blurred elements of moving water help tell the tale of transition and provide space for reflection.

When including water in my fall imagery, I often use the fallen leaves as part of the scene. Not only do the fallen leaves provide a lovely pop of color in the foreground, but they also help complete the story about time. As water flows by, the leaves of the past season adorn the stage for the change to unfold.

Another technique for including water in stunning fall imagery is to look for reflections in water surfaces. You can find these reflections in still surfaces that create a mirror-like effect, or moving surfaces that reflect light and colors through abstraction. Particularly with abstracts, this can be a fun way to experiment with shutter speeds to achieve different creative effects.

And finally, I often look to flowing water as a way to provide contrast in my fall images. The smoothness of the water contrasts with the stillness of the foliage to create a pleasing visual effect. This can be quite challenging as leaves are rarely still, so it takes patience and practice to select the right composition and shutter speed to bring all the elements together. Despite the difficulty, patience is rewarded as these are often some of my favorite fall images.

As you go out to create fall images of your own this year, reflect on what fall symbolizes about the beauty in transitions and the passage of time, and consider including water in your scenes to help tell that story.