Fall Photography: Golden Silver Grass Field

Fall Photography: Golden Silver Grass Field

Rating:
      You rate: [Please login to rate]

Fall Photography: Golden Silver Grass Field

While the vivid red leaves are for sure the most favorable foliage to photograph in late Autumn, the golden silver grasses which mark the beginning of the Autumn season are also great subject to shoot. Every year from late October to December, a number of countryside locations in Hong Kong will turn into a beautiful sea of golden silver grasses under the sun. Check out where these places are and the tips and skills you need to know to capture the stunning scenery of golden Autumn.

Use of Composition for Greater Sense of Perspective

Wide-angle to normal lenses such as EF 17-40mm f/4L USM are commonly used to capture the spectacular look of wide-open sea of golden silver grasses. Wide-angle lens offers a perspective that can not only make the foreground subject stand out (e.g. a man standing amid the grasses), but also help depict the large piece of grassland to give a sense of space to the photo.
Title:《大東秋》 Club Canon Member:Billy
EOS 5D Mark III • EF 17-40mm f/4L USM • 1/125s • f/8 • ISO 100
In general, a landscape photo shows a greater sense of depth and content if it consists of foreground, middleground and background element. For example in the below photo, the photographer made a good observation of the change of ambient light and had the sunlight shine on the silver grasses on the back for a richer golden color. The stone house and sky behind the grasses further enriched the composition and resulted in a photo that showed a warm tone like an oil painting.
Title:《油畫般的美》 Club Canon Member:johnchanmk
EOS 500D • EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS • 1/125s • f/8 • ISO 100

Back-lit Shots to Create Mood

We can create different moods for photos by making good use of light. To photograph silver grasses, light during the sunset hours is probably the best. Shooting with a front lighting can result in richer color, while shooting into the sun can make the silver grasses look shining with the tips becoming a highlight area with sunlight coming from behind.

However, shooting with backlighting may result in inadequate exposure for the foreground subject. We can either use a Graduated Neutral Density filter or shoot with the camera’s Auto Exposure Bracketing function to achieve an overall balance in exposure while retaining the details of silver grasses. Alternatively, we can use the HDR mode which is a built-in feature in some of the EOS digital SLR cameras (such as EOS 6D, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 7D Mark II). Shoot with your camera mounted on a tripod, and the camera will capture three images simultaneously with different exposure settings and then merge them into a HDR image in which details in both blown-out highlights and shadowed areas are retained.
Shooting into the sun during the sunrise and sunset hours can add a mood to the photo. Make good use of the golden time to shoot as it usually lasts no longer than 15 minutes.

Title:《夕陽下 芒草》 Club Canon Member:XanderAlex Tam
EOS 5D Mark III • EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM • 1/2000s • f/6.3 • ISO 200

Use of White Balance to Change the Color Tone

In normal landscape photography, “Standard” or “Landscape” Picture Style and Auto White Balance are often used to create richer color for the photo. To give a mood of Autumn to the silver grass photos, we can adjust the camera’s white balance setting to “Cloudy” or use a higher K value (e.g. 7000K or above) for warmer colors. If we want a more special result, break the rules and try the opposite. Set the white balance to “Tungsten” or below 3000K to add a tint of cool colors for some unexpected surprises.
Title:《大東芒草日落》 Club Canon Member:johnchanmk
EOS 500D • EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS • 1/80s • f/7.1 • ISO 100

Popular Locations for Silver Grass Photography in Hong Kong

Sunset Peak

Introduction: Well-known after being the photo-shoot location for the CD cover of local singer Eason Chan, Sunset Peak is famous for its large field of golden silver grasses and cabins. It is very steep on the way uphill and requires good physical conditions. Bring a torch and thick clothes with you if you are going to camp or wait till sunrise as it will be a complete darkness at night and weather is chilly.
Transportation: Take MTR to Tung Chung Station and change to bus 3M. Get off at Pak Kung Au and walk uphill for about 1.5 hours.

Ma On Shan Ngong Ping

Introduction: Ma On Shan Ngong Ping at about 400m altitudes is moderately challenging. Covering a wide area, Ngong Ping is a good location for photographing silver grasses and camping, and offers amazing view of Sai Kung Town and Inner Port Shelter. The route further up to Pyramid Hill is steep and rugged and thus it is not recommended for inexperienced hikers.
Transportation: Take MTR to Ma On Shan Station and change to resident bus NR84 at Sunshine City Plaza. Get off at the terminus Ma On Shan Village and walk uphill to the entrance of Ma On Shan Country Trail. You can reach Ngong Ping Plateau after a 1-hour walk.

Kowloon Peak North Ridge

Introduction: Kowloon Peak is steep and relatively difficult to climb. It is only suitable for experienced hikers. Compared with Sunset Peak, it is less popular and crowded, making a good option for serious photography.
Transportation: Take MTR to Choi Hung Station and change to minibus 1A departing from Rhythm Garden. Get off at Fei Ngo Shan Road and walk uphill along the traffic road.
Random Articles
Japan Autumn Festival - Red Leaves Photography and Kimono Culture