Photographer Kate Garibaldi Shares 20 Years of Fall Color Lessons

After two decades photographing autumn foliage, photographer Kate Garibaldi has published a guide detailing her approach to the season. Growing up in the Northeastern U.S., Garibaldi developed a shot-list method to ensure variety in her portfolio rather than repetitive compositions. Her list includes big landscapes, waterfalls, environmental wildlife, wildlife portraits, macro images, textures, human elements, and abstract compositions. She plans outings around weather and light conditions: overcast days suit waterfalls and macro photography, partly cloudy skies around sunrise or sunset benefit vistas, and soft morning or evening light works for wildlife portraits. Garibaldi emphasizes changing lenses to alter perspective, bringing gear that provides options such as tripods, filters, and telephoto lenses, and not letting foliage become the sole subject. She advises looking for layers and depth, photographing details, giving oneself time to see the scene, and knowing when to move on from a composition that isn't working. The article includes photographs by Garibaldi and was published on PetaPixel on October 3, 2026. An affiliate disclosure notes that PetaPixel may earn commissions from links.