The End of the Season of Colors (Montreal)

This is the last photo of my Fall Colors series where I feature the transformation in nature over three months of the autumn.

By the end of November, most of the leaves are gone, the temperature is close to freezing point, and it is not easy to find the vivid and bright colors.

My goal here was to bring the exciting colors and textures during the editing phase.

Shooting

It was quiet afternoon with absolutely no wind and I did not feel the need to use my tripod. I took a couple of shots handheld with my go-to lens Sony 16-70 and that was it.

Camera: Sony a6000
Lens: Sony 16-70
Focal Length: 16mm
Shooting Mode: Aperture Priority (A)
ISO: 100
Aperture: F/8
Shutter Speed: 1/125s
Tripod: hand-held

Editing & Processing

It was single RAW processing workflow.

Lightroom (85%)

First, I had to fix a vertical perspective, making sure that light posts were perfectly straight. I used the Transform Panel sliders. I used the Crop Overlay tool to change the aspect ration from 3×2 to 4×3.

Next, I used the Autumn preset from my Fall Colors Collection as the base for Lightroom Rapid Editing. Then I used TOOLKIT to open up the shadows in the foreground and boost the Contrast.

The Lightroom Preset Editing Formula: Open Sky (1, 9, 13, 16, 21)

Finally, I used my new favorite Lightroom tool the Range Mask to emphasize the blue hues of the sky. Learn more here: Lightroom Range Mask

Photoshop (15%)

First, I used the Spot Healing Brush to clean up the graffiti on the asphalt, and then I boost the details and reduced noise.

Plugins: DeNoise (noise reduction), Topaz Detail (local contrast boost).

Total Time: 12min

The fall season offers a multitude of opportunities for capturing stunning foliage photos. By following these 12 ideas and tips, you can enhance your photography skills and capture the beauty of autumn in all its glory.

Before & After Transformation

Archiving: I save all my photos as JPEG (quality: 100%) at full resolution and with the help of the Lightroom plugin, I synchronized them with my portfolio on SmugMug for safekeeping, sharing, image hosting and online sales.

Do not forget that my FREE Lightroom Preset Collection is always free for all subscribers to my newsletter.