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T
HE CHANGING LEAVES of autumn have to be one of the year’s
biggest highlights for many photographers, whether they’ve a
penchant for landscapes, portraits or still-lifes. The varied colour
palette can be quite the spectacle, providing the perfect luminous
backdrop for creative still-lifes. Whether backlit by the sun or artificially
by a lightbox, the amber and auburn leaves glow and their details
become visibly enriched. As lightboxes are a throwback to the days of
film photography, unless you have one stashed away they can be
tough to find. However, an LED light pad or even a table-top lamp
under a sheet of glass, diffused by tracing paper, can work.
You’ll need a fair few leaves for this set-up, so ready a bag by
gathering all shapes, sizes and colours before you begin. Think about
the types of compositions you’ll be trying out, too: will you want to
create contrast by combining different colours and shapes, or focus
on repetitive patterns. You’ll need a macro lens or the equivalent to be
able to focus close enough to fill the frame and a tripod to position the
camera directly overhead. It’s a simple set-up but you’ll be surprised at
what time you’ll kill trying different designs and combinations.LEAVE IT
ON THE
LIGHTBOX
PHOTOGRAPHER CAROLINE SCHMIDT GATHERS CREATIVITY
AND AUTUMN LEAVES FOR A STRIKING BACKLIT STILL-LIFECAMERA: NIKON D 800/LENS: SIGMA 60 MM F /2.8 DN A