Sep 30, 2025

October Outdoors: Photography Themes & Inspiration

October welcomes misty mornings, fiery trees, and a quality of light that can turn the most ordinary scene into something magical. It’s the perfect month to slow down, look closer, and embrace a few new creative challenges. Here are this month’s themes to inspire your photography.

Focus of the Month: Mist & Fog

1/400 f11 ISO 100

Few things transform a landscape quite like mist. Valleys, fields, rivers and woods suddenly take on a new pared-down identity with layers of light and shadow that bring that classic painterly quality.

Thicker fog conditions are equally atmospheric, scattering light, reducing contrast, and stripping away clutter. Try looking for strong shapes, silhouettes, or single trees emerging from the haze. Urban fog can be just as striking too, with streetlights and car headlights adding atmosphere. And don’t underestimate how good portraits and street photography can look in these conditions too. (take a look at this month’s Inspiration figure John Bulmer).

Tip: You can anticipate misty mornings by focussing on temperature changes (eg. warm days and cold nights), and calm conditions (no wind), particularly after some rain!

Creature of the Month: Jay

1/2000 f5.6 ISO 4000

October is the month of the jay. These colourful, shy birds become easier to spot as they busily collect acorns to cache for winter. They hide far more than they’ll ever retrieve, which makes them unsung heroes of reforestation — Many oak trees owe their existence to the jays’ proactive October caching!

For photography, watch first and snap later. Explore woodland edges and local parkland where oaks grow. Jays are wary, so patience (and a bit of quiet observation) is key. Capturing that stunning azure wing against autumn leaves is one of October’s great rewards.

Photography Tip of the Month: Underexposing

1/400 f2.8 ISO 1000 (-1.3 exposure comp.)

With the sun sitting lower and the light growing more directional, October is a brilliant time to play with underexposure. Dialling exposure down by just a stop or two can add instant drama to many scenes while sharpening up those autumn colours.

Whether it’s a person or wildlife entering a spotlight, a woodland scene or a sweeping vista a little underexposure be the difference between a good photos and a stunner! Best of all, it’s a trick available on almost every camera including camera phones — Simple, effective, and a great way to harness October’s bolder light.

Inspiration of the Month: John Bulmer

October’s morning fog and soft light make it a good time to revisit the work of John Bulmer, one of Britain’s great documentary photographers. His images of the industrial North in the 1960s and 70s are iconic, capturing both the grit and the quiet poetry of everyday life.

Bulmer often uses fog, smog and muted light to powerful effect, turning smoke-filled valleys, terraced streets and factory skylines into atmospheric compositions. His work is a reminder that great photography isn’t about perfect conditions, but about finding the right approach for the environment you’re in.

Walk of the Month: Ilkley Night Photography Walk

Review of the Month

“Rich listened carefully to what I wanted to get out of my 2 hours of individual tuition, gently ascertaining my current level of understanding. He then tailored the teaching session accordingly. There was a mixture of hands-on experimenting with my own camera's settings and analysing the results on the TV monitor, and also showing examples of his and other photographers' work to emphasise what can be achieved. This was followed afterwards by an email from Rich summing up what had been discussed and advice on assignments to do myself to build upon and continue the learning process. It has all been time very well spent.” - C.O