Get Your Kit Ready for Fall Foliage

Aug 29, 2024

A serene autumn landscape featuring a colorful array of trees with red, yellow, and orange leaves along the edge of a calm lake. The vibrant foliage is reflected on the clear water, with a distant backdrop of forested hills under a partly cloudy sky.

It may still feel like summer, but fall will be here before you know it. If you’re hoping to photograph some fall foliage this year but need (or want) new gear for it, now is the time to figure out and order what you need.

Full disclosure: This article is brought to you by MPB.

With cooler temperatures come vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. All those fall colors can potentially create epic conditions for photographs, no matter what genre you like to photograph. Fall is frequently a landscape photographer’s dream, though the colorful leaves also make great additions to portraits. While fall photography doesn’t necessarily require much in the way of specific gear, there are a few pieces worth picking up to get the most out of your images. Plus, it could be a good excuse to pick up a new lens or camera body.

While you could certainly buy new gear, it will cost you a lot of money. Buying used, instead, will save you quite a bit, offering a much more budget-friendly alternative. Shopping for used gear can be an overwhelming prospect. It so often involves either time-consuming back-and-forth communication or unresponsive individuals and no-shows. Worse yet, though, is buying gear that isn’t what as advertised and ending up with broken equipment.

A serene landscape of a misty morning with colorful autumn trees by a calm river. In the background, there are mountains partially covered by low-hanging clouds. The reflection of the trees and mountains is visible in the still water.

Purchasing used camera gear from a trusted reseller is a much easier, safer alternative. MPB is one such reseller and is the largest global platform for buying, selling, and trading used photography and videography gear. It recirculates more than 500,000 cameras, lenses, and accessories each year, so there’s a good chance you’ll find what you are looking for. MPB’s trained specialists inspect every single item that comes through its doors to verify its condition so you can trust that the gear you are buying will work and is in the condition listed. Plus, each item comes with a six-month warranty for even more peace of mind.

A sleek Fujifilm X-T5 camera is shown against a plain white background. The camera features a silver and black body with a textured grip and prominent dials. The lens mount is uncovered, displaying the Fujifilm logo prominently on both the mount cap and the camera body.

Camera

Naturally, you’ll need a camera to photograph fall foliage. Luckily, fall photography doesn’t necessarily require any specific type of camera. You can use a DSLR or mirrorless, full-frame or APS-C, or even a point-and-shoot. All major brands produce cameras that are absolutely up to the task of photographing fall color.

A grove of trees with vibrant autumn foliage, including brilliant yellow, orange, and red leaves, surrounding the striking white bark of birch trees. The scene showcases the rich colors and serene beauty of a forest in fall.

Which camera you should use simply comes down to your preferences, the situations you’ll be photographing in, and what you plan on doing with the photos. If you’ll be hiking, you will appreciate having a relatively lightweight camera like the Fujifilm X-T5 or the Fujifilm X100V for a fixed-lens option. Or, if you want to turn these photos into epic prints, a high-resolution model such as the Sony a7R V or Nikon Z9, will be the way to go.

Lens

What lens is best for fall foliage depends on the type of photographs you want to create, as different focal lengths are necessary for different situations. First, for broad, sweeping landscapes of colorful forests, a wide-angle lens is a must. You could opt for a prime wide-angle lens for extra sharpness or a wide-angle zoom for more versatility. The particular focal length depends on personal preference and the particular scene, but anywhere from 14mm to 35mm will suit you well for most situations.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you want to capture tighter shots to highlight details, compress the scene, or capture stunning portraits, a telephoto lens will be the best choice. A 70-200mm lens is an extremely versatile option that will work well for a wide number of scenes and be handy well beyond the fall as well. It’s a valuable investment any time of the year but is an especially excellent choice for fall photography.

A serene mountain scene with calm water reflecting the vibrant autumn foliage of green, yellow, and orange. Large rocks and colorful shrubs are in the foreground, with a forest and majestic mountains under a partially cloudy blue sky in the background.

Tripod

While a tripod is an invaluable tool at any time of the year, it is especially useful in the fall. Fall can often involve tricky lighting conditions and also lends itself to long exposures. A tripod will provide crucial stability so that you have sharp, blur-free images. It will also help you fine-tune your compositions and is critical if you want to create bracketed HDR images of fall color or any other type of composite image.

A cascading waterfall flows over a rocky cliff surrounded by lush autumn foliage. The vibrant yellow, orange, and red leaves contrast with the gray rocks and white water, creating a picturesque scene of nature's beauty.

You can find a wide variety of tripods at MPB, so it’s important to consider what is best for your needs. If you plan on hiking or backpacking for some (hopefully) crowd-free fall photographs, a lightweight tripod will be a must. However, be sure to balance a lightweight design with excellent stability, as a tripod isn’t much good if it doesn’t provide a stable base for your camera.

A close-up of a mushroom growing on a forest floor covered in fallen leaves. The mushroom has a light-colored cap with gills visible underneath. The background is a blurred, dense forest with tall trees and various shades of green foliage. — Photo by Abby Ferguson

Circular Polarizer Filter

Beyond the basics mentioned above, a circular polarizer filter, or CPL, will be helpful for a number of situations when shooting fall color. Like your polarized sunglasses, CPLs cut down on glare and reflections. Fall can be a rainy time in many parts of the world, and a CPL will help you reduce distracting glare from all those wet surfaces.

A serene lake reflects vibrant autumn foliage and a distant mountain range under a sky dotted with scattered clouds. Golden and red leaves frame the edges, enhancing the natural beauty of the early fall landscape. — Photo by Bruce Gray

Another benefit to a CPL is the boost to color and contrast they provide. These filters will help you bring out all those stunning colors and give you more control over color and contrast in camera. As a result, you may be able to spend less time fussing while editing.

A red wooden cabin is nestled among dense trees with autumn foliage, reflected in the still waters of a lake. The lush forest features green, yellow, and golden hues. There is a small dock extending into the water, creating a tranquil, scenic view. — Photo by Abby Ferguson

Variable Neutral Density Filter

Another valuable filter for fall photography is a variable neutral density filter, or VND. VNDs essentially combine multiple neutral density filters into one, allowing you to simply turn the filter to control the intensity. These filters cut down on the brightness of light entering the camera, which allows you to use a slower shutter speed than you would otherwise be able to. That means you can use slow shutter speeds to produce blurred movement even during the day, opening up the opportunity for more unique and dramatic images no matter the conditions.

Backpack

If you plan on doing any hiking or traveling for fall foliage photos, you’ll want to be sure you have a comfortable and functional backpack. While you may think of gear resellers for cameras and lenses, they are also a fantastic place to pick up a new (to you) camera backpack or bag. Backpacks tend to be quite expensive, so picking up a used one is a great way to save money while still getting a bag with lots of life in it. Be sure to opt for one that offers just enough space for your camera equipment and any non-photography gear you may need without getting too large.

Full disclosure: This article is brought to you by MPB.

Image credits: Fall photographs by Jeremy Gray unless otherwise noted.