Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation. A Healing Arts Practitioner, she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Integrative Healthcare. She says, " Health is resiliency, a zest for the journey. It’s about coming awake to the joy of being alive. As a practitioner, its a privilege to facilitate that healing process, to help weave new patterns of health & well-being. “ And by the way, healthier, happier people help create a healthier, happier world.
“The autumn light, though bright, felt slanted and oblique. Mostly, it felt quiet, as if it were waiting for something to happen. Unlike direct summer sunshine that had something specific to say and shouted it, this light held mysteries and patiently whispered its secrets . . . “. The Wild Inside, Montana author Christine Carbo
Montana offers a striking autumn color palette, brilliant yellow and gold intermixed with evergreen foliage. In Bozeman, Lindley Park maples turn burgundy. Over by Missoula and up at Seely Lake, the Larches go from green to golden. In your own backyard? It depends on what you have growing. Take a look!
How many natural reds can you find as the season progresses? Try pursuing a particular color with the goal of creating a series of images that creatively tell a particular color story. How does the changing light affect the vibrancy of the color?
To explore some of the most striking autumn photography opportunities, practice shooting macro photos. If you haven’t done that before you can practice in your own back yard. Essentially, macro means “close up” and it’s what you want to use when you are ready to create a leaf-portrait. (Look up the Macro Photography article at: http://f11photo.com/macro-photography.html to learn more. Learn more about working with light at: http://www.distinctlymontana.com/content/extraordinary-light)
Pay attention to weather. A shot taken on a sunny day tells a different story than one taken under clouds or in a light drizzle. Sun gives you more vibrant colors and offers starker contrasts. Plan the time of the day for your shot so you know when the sun will be in the sky and at your back. To enhance natural light position a small Promaster SystemPro ReflectaDisc to bounce more light onto a particular leaf or to fill in shadows.
With your DSLR, when you are working in bright light, using your camera screen to help compose your shot can be tough. Wear a baseball cap to shadow the screen or consider a magnifier/hood (link to product?) to make it easier to get the picture you want.
Don’t let a little — or a lot of wind — stop you. Use a slow shutter speed on your camera to create colorful swirls of movement. You can move the camera or the zoom while the shutter is open for different effects. Try doing the same thing on your iPhone by using an app called SlowShutter.
Yeah, on your phone, it’s the apps that help make it happen. Get to know some!
With a point and shoot camera, go to color settings and set your camera on “vivid” or “saturate.”
Play. Experiment. The most important rule of all? There are no rules.You may surprise yourself with what you capture.