Fall Photo Editing Tips
As the air turns crisp and the landscape is painted in vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, fall offers photographers a stunning palette of natural beauty. But capturing the essence of autumn doesn't stop with the click of a shutter.— to truly bring out the richness and warmth of the season, a few strategic editing tweaks can make all the difference!
Image by Gabrielle Desmarchais
Edited with Quest 39 Driftwood
Whether you're looking to enhance the glow of golden fall foliage or add moody, cinematic mist to bring out an autumnal mood, these fall photo editing tips will help you transform your images into seasonal masterpieces! 🍂 🍁
Enhance Fall Colors
Fall colors are half the reason to get out and photograph in the “ber” months (September, October, November, December)— and we have a few tips for getting the most out of those warm colors (even if it’s not quite peak foliage yet).
Image by Raini Rowell
Edited with Quest 30 Autumnal
Use HSL and Point Color in Lightroom to boost the saturation and vibrance of reds, oranges, and yellows to make autumn foliage pop without over-saturating the entire image. You can also shift the greens and yellows into warmer tones, bringing out fall color even if it’s not quite there yet.
Quest 30 Autumnal is an instant fall preset— the base presets and creative profile boost autumn colors, and the included Foliage Tools turn foliage colors into crisp fall tones as if by magic!
Image by Raini Rowell
Edited with Quest 30 Autumnal
Image by Raini Rowell
Edited with Quest 30 Autumnal
If you already have lots of fall color in your foliage, bring it out with white balance! Warm up your images by adjusting the white balance to bring out the golden hues of fall, adding a cozy and inviting tone to your photos.
You can also use a preset that includes lots of warm tones or Split Toning in the Color Grading— Quest 39 Driftwood has warm shadows that enhance fall colors effortlessly.
Image by Gabrielle Desmarchais
Edited with Quest 39 Driftwood
Add Mist for Mood
Some of our most popular tools from archived Quest sets are the Mist and Low Mist tools from Quest 20 Orphic and Quest 31 Mythos, respectively. These mist tool presets are one-click solutions to adding an enigmatic fog to the background of your image. Using these presets and the Preset Amount Slider, you can fully customize how much mist and atmosphere you want to add to an autumnal scene!
Image by Bernadeta Kupiec
Edited with Quest 20 Orphic & Low Mist from Quest 31 Mythos
If you already have a foggy or misty scene, use a preset like Diffuse from Quest 33 Trouvaille or Cinematic Haze from Quest 23 Odeon to enhance the glowy atmosphere.
Image by Bernadeta Kupiec
Edited with Quest 41 Raven, Foliage tools from Quest 30 Autumnal, Low Mist from Quest 31 Mythos
Nostalgia and Fuzzy Feelings
Fall photography is perfect for an extra filmic, cozy, nostalgic treatment, editing-wise. Tug on your viewer’s heartstrings and give them that warm and fuzzy feeling with boosted grain, grungy borders, and warm, faded, old-postcard vibes.
Image by Matt Pocknell Photography
Edited with Quest 40 Del Mar
Get the faded postcard look using Quest 40 Del Mar or Quest 16 Riven, and add filmic borders from Quest 34 Collodion or Quest 16 Riven (or get the Borders Toolset from Archipelago for a ton of borders in one pack).
Image by The Tinsley Co
Edited with Quest 16 Riven
Add a vintage treatment to any preset using Vintage Haze from Quest Tools 08 - ExF Light Leaks, which adds a warm, faded, and grainy overtone layer.
Image by Ryan Chard Smith
Edited with Quest 30 Autumnal, border from Quest 34 Collodion, Vintage Tone from Quest Tools 08 - ExF Light Leaks
Bonus Tip: Fall is a time of growing darkness, and a perfect season to introduce lanterns into your images to add extra light and a prop for your subjects to use at dusk! Use the Naked Flame presets in Quest 39 Driftwood to enhance the glow from your lanterns in Lightroom!
Image by Mariah Arianna
Edited with Quest 21 Wayfarer SE and Naked Flame from Quest 39 Driftwood
Do you have a lot of fall photo sessions planned? Let us know what your fave editing tips are in the comments!