As we move into Winter, we take a look back over the last few months and share some of the best photographs seen this Autumn…
Autumn is a month of changing colour, misty views and the start of shorter days, longer nights. As the temperature drops, we take a look back and select some of the best photographs we have come across over the Autumn months this year. In no particular order, check them out below:
Best Autumn Photographs 2022
Dunlin Panorama from the portfolio A Theatre of Birds by Mateusz Piesiak
‘A theatre of birds’ by Mateusz Piesiak, Poland. Rising Star Portfolio Award Winner. Canon EOS R + 14–35mm f4 lens at 14mm; 1/1000 sec at f10(+0.7 e/v); ISO 500; wireless trigger © Mateusz Piesiak/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Mateusz Piesiak was this year’s Rising Star Portfolio Award Winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Mateusz Piesiak carefully considered camera angles to produce a series of intimate photographs exploring the behaviour of birds. Winner of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award when he was 14, Mateusz explored his locality during the Covid-19 lockdown. ‘Even a small pond or park in the city centre turned out to be a very good place for photographing wildlife.’ Throughout this portfolio Mateusz focuses on local birds. Researching and preparing for images that were in his mind ‘for days, months or even years’ before he finally managed to realise them.
For ‘Dunlin panorama’ Piesiak placed his remote camera on the mud of the reed bed and seized the opportunity to capture the moment when a passing peregrine falcon caused some of the dunlins to fly up.
See the winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022!
Scotch Mist by Vince Campbell
Scotch Mist by Vince Campbell. Runner-up Weather Photographer of the Year (Mobile Phone category). Samsung SM-J530f 3.71mm f1.7 1/250 sec ISO 40
Vince Campbell was runner-up in the Mobile Phone category of Weather Photographer of the Year 2022 competition with this misty shot. An overnight stop in Tarbet, Loch Lomond in Scotland. Plus an early morning trek with dogs Oscar and Ollie up Cruach Tairbeirt revealed this beautiful misty scene to Vince. “The woods, the alps, the loch and Ben Lomond were bathed in ‘Scotch mist’. This shot was taken just before the sun put in an appearance”.
Mist, like fog, is a low cloud or small water droplets suspended in the air, close to the ground. The relative humidity in mist and fog is more than 95%, but the difference between the two phenomena is all down to visibility. If you can see more than 1,000 metres, it is mist. But if it is thicker and the visibility drops below 1,000 metres, it is fog.
Mist typically dissipates quicker than fog and can rapidly disappear with even a light wind.
See more great weather photos here.
Storm Eunice by Christopher Ison
Storm Eunice, Christopher Ison. 18 February 2022. Weather Photographer of the Year 2022. Canon EOS R5 and 300mm plus x1.4 converter
Although taken earlier this year, we were in awe when this dramatic photo by Christopher Ison won Weather Photographer of the Year in October.
After checking the time Storm Eunice would hit as well as the high tides times, Christopher discovered that the storm would hit Newhaven, East Sussex, at almost exactly high tide. When taking his photo, Christopher decided to head to high ground and stand slightly further away from the harbour wall with his back to the weather and was rewarded with a fantastic set of images.
He said, “When the storm was predicted, and it was carrying the first ever red warning for the south coast, I knew I had to find a spot to record it – this was going to be big!
Dramatic Storm Eunice photo wins Weather Photographer of the Year 2022!
Dawn Reflection by Natasha Burns
Dawn Reflection by Natasha Burns, Young Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022. Nikon D3400, 55-300mm f/4-5.6
Natasha Burns won the Young Landscape Photographer of the Year title in this year’s competition. The photograph was taken at Loch Creran in Argyll, Scotland. She said, “Loch Creran is in a beautiful, forested glen near my house. It was early and the loch looked magical, shrouded in mist and completely still. I heard the sound of oars and saw the boat which was backlit with golden light. I was so thrilled when Charlie phoned to say I had won Young Landscape Photographer of the Year. The previous winners’ photographs are so amazing, it is a real honour to win this year.”
Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 winner announced!
Glastonbury Tor by Sam Binding
Photo by Sam Binding, winner of the Historic England category of Historic Photographer of the Year 2022
Sam Binding won the Historic England category for the second consecutive year is with his image of Glastonbury Tor which was shot early in the morning as the sun rose with the mist to create an ethereal scene. Judge Fiona Shields called it “an elegant image, powerful in its simplicity, the light falling so perfectly, framing the historic monument”. Whilst Judge Dan Snow said: “I’m a believer in getting up and out in the cold and dark to get the perfect show, and this photographer has done exactly that. There are millions of pictures of the Tor every year but only one like this.”
Historic Photographer of the Year 2022 winners announced!
Sitting Pretty by Caitlin Wild
Image: Caitlin Thomas
Caitlin Wild was selected as our Picture of the Week winner, featuring in our 22 November 2022 magazine issue.
She told us, “Whilst photographing the Mute swans at my local reservoir, I heard a very musical high-pitched call coming from behind me. Sat on a stone pillar posing beautifully was this little Chaffinch. They can be slightly challenging birds to photograph as they are fast-moving and small.”
Red Grouse by Carl-Göran Nyrell
Image: Carl-Göran Nyrell
Carl-Göran Nyrell won ‘Best Picture of the Trip’ on our Red Grouse photography Holiday with Ben Hall in September.
This trip will be returning in 2023, find out more here: Red Grouse with Ben Hall 24-27 August 2023
Guy Fawkes by Jerin Pappy Johnson
Image: Jerin Pappy Johnson, Google Pixel 4a
Jerin Pappy Johnson was selected as one of our November Smartphone Picture of the Week winners, with this fireworks night silhouette. The photo was taken on Aberdeen beach with a Google Pixel 4a.
Google Pixel 4a – Smartphone Picture of the Week
Mother’s Bonding by Vinay Badhe
Image: Vinay Badhe, Nikon D7500, 200-500mm, f/5.6
Vinay Badhe came first place in our Young Amateur Photographer of the Year, Wildlife round, with this golden shot of an Indian paradise flycatcher with its nest. Google the Indian paradise flycatcher and it’ll turn up images of a gorgeously jewel-coloured bird, with sapphire-blue feathers on their head and orange wings and tail. So for Vinay to photograph one in silhouette is a bold move indeed – and it’s one that has paid off handsomely. Reducing the scene to tones of gold and bronze ensures our attention stays with the bird and its open-mouthed young, while the darker areas at the edges help create a pleasing frame. Waiting until the adult bird has turned to the side is crucial to the success of this atmospheric shot.
See the winning wildlife photos from APOY 2022!
Blakemere Lilies by Carl Wynn
Image: Carl Wynn
Carl Wynn was selected as our Picture of the Week for our 18 October 2022 magazine issue.
Carl told us, “I took this image early one morning, on one of my normal walks along the Shropshire Union Canal. I head down there quite frequently this time of the year as the autumn colours are just starting to pop. I ventured there with images of canal barges and autumn colours in mind, but the conditions were not quite optimal. Remembering what Thomas Heaton said about looking for more intimate and simple images in the landscape rather than the big vistas I took a different approach. The sunlight on the lilies caught my eye with parts in shadow and parts in light, and I thought they would make for a strong image.”
Related articles:
The top 20 best landscape photographs
Best Winter photographs of 2021-22
The best Spring photographs of 2022
Best Summer photographs of 2022
