7 Tips For Photographing Fall Foliage In New England / New York

Tip #1.

Wake up early. – you don’t necessarily have to be on location at sunrise, however, sunrise conditions in the fall of New England can be enchanting due to the frequent colder temperatures of the night making early morning fog. I personally do not try to photograph the sunrise or sunset specifically quite as much, unless I can get a glow thru some magical fog. However, just escaping the crowds early can help make picture-taking more enjoyable. My favorite time for autumn pictures is normally about 1-2 hours after sunrise when the light isn’t too harsh, possible fog still visible on the horizon, and most areas aren’t too crowded yet. 

The above image is a sunrise picture of Rough Ridge in North Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

Tip #2. Make all your reservations early. Whether you are trying to stay at one of the more luxurious resorts such as Omni Mount Washington in New Hampshire, or a more affordable budget motel or hotel, early reservations are often needed during peak fall foliage regardless. In particular, popular New England towns such as Stowe Vermont or Bar Harbor Maine will require significant early planning to find space at many of the resorts and even reservations for popular hikes. Between general overcrowding and additional Covid-19 restrictions, many of the more popular Northeast and New England hiking trails such as Indian Head in the Adirondacks and other trails in Acadia National Park have now moved to permits and reservations only.  So to enhance the overall quality of your leaf-peeping adventure, early planning months in advance is going to be extremely helpful and in some cases absolutely necessary.  So get out those travel planners, calendars, and notepads this winter and get to work! Next fall you will thank me if you heed this advice!

Pictured above is an aerial image of the iconic Omni Mount Washington.  Early reservations are likely needed to stay in such a prestigious resort during peak foliage season.

TIP #3) If possible try to photograph the leaves after a rainy day. Or if conditions allow, take pictures directly during a light rain to make the colors truly pop and create a magical moody autumn scene. You will be very grateful this fall if you can plan any of your leaf-peeping adventures after a rainy night as the wet leaves will become richer and deeper in their natural color.  

Pictured above is a self portrait I took on a moody morning following a rainstorm at Hawks Nest in New York

TIP #4) I suggest looking at past photographs of an area and google earth to give you ideas of compositions, while also giving yourself ample opportunity to just explore freely and be as creative as possible. Most of my photography adventures contain elements of detailed planning and also spontaneous creative opportunities on the spot. But make no mistake about it, I do a lot of google earth, google image search, reading blogs, articles, and anything I can to familiarize myself with a region before I go there myself. When I was an Officer in the US Army we called this reconnaissance or scouting. It’s similar in photography. The more research you can do ahead of time with reading and image reviews the better prepared you will be to react to things like traffic issues, changing weather conditions, and an assortment of other problems you are bound to face as a photographer trying to capture the colorful landscape. 

TIP #5) Get high above the landscape!  I got myself a MAVIC PRO 2 drone last year, which I highly recommend to get high-quality images of fall foliage from above.  However, any drone is better than none.  If a drone is not in your budget this season, there are some other recommendations I have for you to see and photograph peak colors in all their glory from a bird’s eye view:

• Hike up a large hill or mountain, preferably one with a sweeping view from a rocky outcropping, or something that lets you see above the trees.  A few hills and mountains that I recommend to give you this type of view in the Northeast include Mount Jo in the Adirondacks, Mount Mansfield in Vermont and Artist’s Bluff in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire to name a few.
•  Another great way to get high above the landscape and witness fall colors in all their glory is to ride on a ski lift to the top.  Many resorts such as Bretton Woods in New Hampshire or Killington in Vermont have lifts that you can take even in Autumn to enhance your autumnal adventure!

Pictured above is Artist’s Bluff lookout point, which gives a sweeping view of Echo Lake in Franconia Notch State Park.

TIP # 5) Plan your daytime shots if possible with decent cloud cover or even overcast.  The problem many people face with photographing during the day is the light is harsh. Of course, as I already said in one of my first tips, shooting early in the morning or golden hour can help you avoid crowds and harsh lighting.  However, sometimes life gets in the way, and the reality is not everyone can plan their family itinerary during golden hour.  So if you find yourself planning more daytime shots in the golden hour, you will be fortunate if you can find overcast conditions so that the light doesn’t blow out your exposure, allowing you to capture better color tones on the leaves.

A daytime image of the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train in Lincoln, NH photographed during overcast conditions.

TIP # 6) This may sound somewhat contrary to previous tips about golden hour shooting, but I am all about experimenting and variety.  Tip number 6 is to shoot in all lighting conditions.  Even the middle of the day can sometimes provide rewarding images of fall foliage, especially if some interesting clouds move into frame, or shift shadows into your composition which may give your picture a rewarding contrast.  I also love to shoot during all hours of the day because I find it gives me more of a chance to learn and master my camera.  Each time period during the day gives light and shadow a different variety.  I think the best photographer is going to shoot thousands of images during each of those time periods before they ever become a master. And autumn in my opinion provides the most colors for photographers to play with, so there is no better season to practice your skill at capturing those vivid colors in all different lighting arrangements.

TIP #7) My final piece of advice is to plan out at least one or two classic and popular New England/ Northeast towns or destinations to enhance your trip. Some places are popular for a reason, making it extraordinary to see them during peak foliage.  In other words, yes I am saying to see these places during peak leaf season you will be surrounded by other leaf seekers, even during the week!! That’s how popular they are, but it can be worth it anyways.  By no means is this an exhaustive list, but by planning one or more of these classic and popular New England or New York destinations, you will see such beautiful sites that you’ll likely want to plan the following year in advance right after visiting.  Some places I recommend include Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park in Maine; Indian Head in the Adirondacks; Woodstock Vermont and the iconic sleepy hollow farm in nearby Pomfret; the Kangamangus Highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire; Letchworth State Park in New York; and finally I recommend the drive from the famous Stowe Vermont all the way and thru Smugglers Notch.  Check out a few of my own images below of these regions, and I hope you make it to some of them yourself on your next New England Autumn adventure!

Stowe Vermont, perhaps the most classic New England town.

I hope you enjoyed these 7 tips for photographing fall foliage in New England.  I would love to hear from you if you found this helpful.  Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or feedback !

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