Autumn scenes

Effectively capturing autumn colour is more challenging than it may initially seem. While a colourful scene may appear hard to shoot badly, a good understanding of camera settings is essential. This may have been an attractive scene, but the automatic white balance (WB) system in the camera has attempted to 'correct' the strong reds and oranges on the ground by making the shot overly green/blue. A Cloudy or Shade WB setting would be more appropriate. There is also a lack of true subject matter to focus on. Maybe a second visit later in the season, when there is more colour present, would also be an idea.

Autumn is a favourite season for photographers since the seasonal colour transforms any scene. However one of the biggest mistakes many photographers make is that they get carried away with capturing this colour and forget to find a strong subject. This image perfectly balances autumnal hues with wonderful light and great composition, the oranges and yellows forming a sinuous line through the frame. Masterfully executed.

While bold colour is a huge aspect of autumn, we often forget that death and decay are the key features of many scenes at this time of year! Whilst these don't sound romantic characteristics, this image brilliantly captures the muted browns and yellows so often left unstudied. A fun, technically excellent still life-style shot.

A great interpretation of the brief for the round, this shot just hints at the season with the subtly coloured leaves. While not a traditionally 'beautiful' scene, the image encapsulates a sense of past glory - a theme which runs through the frame, from the peeling paint on the window to the bare tree outside. We can feel the chill of the approaching winter from here!

This photograph jumped out at us because of the wonderful golden glow, appealing colour contrasts of the blue in the sky and oranges of the foliage and stunning reflection. There are some great painterly tones here which take this shot beyond the obvious, complemented by a great subject.