Autumn. It’s my favorite time of year. Pumpkin pies baking in the oven. The smell of cinnamon wafting through the air. And nature in all its splendor, just screaming to be photographed and enjoyed.

Capture the beauty of the season with these five, easy to follow tips:

1. They don’t call them the Golden Hours for nothing. The Golden Hours typically occur during early morning and early evening hours, when the sun is at its sweetest. Shooting during the early morning lends a soft, golden light to your photographs while shooting during the early evening casts a stronger golden-orange tone to your images. Both are great at bringing out the reds and golds that are prevalent around this time of year.

2. Don’t underestimate an overcast day. Shooting in harsh sunlight tends to drown out colors and cast heavy shadows, but overcast days have the opposite effect. Cloudy skies diffuse the sunlight and vibrant leaves pop against gray, overcast skies; perfect for landscape photographs.

3. Capture stunning portraits outdoors. Golden fall light is extremely flattering at dawn or dusk and makes for beautiful portrait lighting. Incorporate colorful fall foliage into your background to help fill your frame. Shoot from above while your subject lies in a pile of leaves.

4. Look for contrasts and find creative, new ways to photograph autumn leaves. Showcase fall’s glorious colors by creating interesting contrasts. Photograph bright red leaves against green grass and yellow leaves against a vibrant blue sky.

5. Capture a tree changing colors through daily time-lapse photos. Get the entire family involved in a fun fall photography project! Photograph the same tree from the same spot at the same time each day for 30 days and watch the glory of fall unfold right before your eyes. Once you’ve captured your photos, convert them into an animated gif, an endless loop of images displayed in a specific order, by using a free tool like Photoscape. If you’d like to learn more about time-lapse photography, DPS is a great place to start.

Have fun, get creative and experiment with different angles and lighting while capturing the beauty of fall.

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