bleirer

I've noticed it is always darkest just before it starts to brighten up. Rule of thumb.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Maybe he was just dreaming, grin.
Smile,
JimmyT Sends

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

(Being cheeky here:) I think the advice for photographing with overcast skies comes from the UK... For them, overcast is normal. At least, it seems that way when I watch YouTube videos of photography from there.

Granted, some scenes are better under overcast skies with the associated flat and soft light. Or, in foggy conditions. But, for me personally, I like having sunny days, although not with crystal-clear skies. Clouds add interest. And, I'd rather deal with shadows and vibrant colors than 'flat' images. Give me flat light from a sunrise or sunset, instead.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Linda
I just Love your examples!
Smile,
JimmyT Sends
Bravo Zulu

tcthome Loc: NJ

Probably needed a defuser & a way to hold it. & then your subject area would be limited to the area of.

tcthome Loc: NJ

for sunrise photos?

Baysitter11 Loc: Cincinnati

The leaves is my fave,

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

I agree with Linda; for fall foliage low sun's best. In a low sun angle, doesn't the atmosphere filter out a lot of the blue end of the spectrum? This means you have more red rays striking red, yellow and orange foliage making the colors brighter and warmer. Unless you specifically want a blue sky in your photo, I'd agree with others that bright overcast offers the best natural light in other outdoor situations. IMHO, of course.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Linda, the last photograph is really beautiful. The lighting on the leaves and your process to bring the subtleness contained in the scene is really nice.
--Bob

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

The issue here is "cloudy day" and what that actually means in relationship, specifically, to fall foliage and photography. A bright day with no filter of clouds over the sun can wash out the color on fall foliage as there is too much light on the subject. But, a dull day with no light can create an image that is also dull and lifeless because there is not enough light on the subject. After all, the key to an image is light and without it there would be no photograph. Timing can also be important when shooting fall foliage as the lower sun tends to help to create better light for optimal images, thus early morning or late afternoon. But, most fall foliage is at higher altitudes and there are canyons and valleys and often a lot of shade and this can also affect the outcome of the image and the sun may not shine at all until later in the day in some places. I just did a fall foliage trip so this subject is one I am currently familiar with. The best type of "cloudy day" for fall foliage might be one where there are puffy white clouds that filter the sun's rays to the degree that the light shines on the subject but does not wash the color out. As we all know, there are many variables with any shot so experience is the best teacher of what might work for a fall color image. I "followed" the sun for my shots this trip and shot at both earlier and later times, for my area this was perhaps 8-10 am or so and then 3-5 or so, this depends on your area. I was shooting along Hwy. 395 in Northern California. I wanted optimal color so I wanted to ensure that I could get the shot with the most tones available in it and I was looking for the right light to do this. I would post something but I don't do that unless I ask first. I did post some in the gallery section.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I was out this cloudy morning and photographed the changing colors in my little area of New England. Quite honestly, I shoot for the highlights and then do an HDR in Photoshop Elements.

I watched Thomas Heaton on Youtube this week and he uses a polarizing filter when shooting in cloudy weather. It is counterintuitive, but I tried it and I liked what it did to my color saturation (even in cloudy weather).

worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

Awesome examples. Compliments.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Many thanks to those who complimented my photos. The quality of light in photography is so important; it's unfortunate that it is not addressed more often in main discussion. But, by the modest two pages of this thread compared to the seven pages of discussion about how to download photos from camera to computer, other folks have different priorities ☹️

Thank you Jerry for attempting to open the conversation!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Lovely shots, Linda!

Autumn is my favorite season for shooting foliage. The days grow shorter and the sun is lower in the sky earlier in the day. It brings out textures and the warm light transillumintes the leaves. Especially nice for backgrounds on fashion shoots, portraits, and architecture.

Gotta admit, I'm jelous of y'all. All the nice foreground subject matter. Lately, especially when the light is perfect, I'm shootg on some dirty construction site- no rustic old barns, pretty models or rolling streams. So attached is my glam. shot of a red crane and my other "masterpiece" entitled "Somewhere Over the Crane-Bow"

So...the other day, while driving home from running some boring errands, I came across a great little Autumn arangemn on someone's lawn- NO CAMERA, so I shot it with my cellphone- RATS!

Now that you inspired me, I'm gonna run out the first thing in the morinig and see if there are any leaves left on the trees!

fantom Loc: Colorado

Agree, especially if you can position yourself to get back lit spots. You can even make a sunny high noon work if you get creative.