Photographing fall colours is the perfect excuse for an outdoor adventure, say local artists

If Sault Ste. Marie should be famous for anything – it’s the area's fall colours.

The low temperatures in September which regularly have Saultites asking “Is winter already coming?” produce the bright reds in maples. Other weather, like rainy and overcast days have been known to amp up the colour intensity in all fall leaves.

S​​​​​​ounds like typical fall weather here in the Soo. So if you can’t book a trip on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train to grab your picturesque fall shots, don’t fret. Algoma is the place where even amateur fall photographers can’t take a bad shot. 

Local wedding photographer Josh Pace says there are many classic spots in the Sault perfect for fall photos – whether you are shooting a wedding or just the leaves themselves.

“The Gros Cap Bluffs are ideal to shoot at,” says Pace. “But Hiawatha is also a perfect location. I recommend that people just take a walk along the trails and get creative. The great thing about having a camera on your phone is that you can delete whatever you don’t like!”

Pace’s photoshoots also have led him to find landmarks in the Algoma area that add a structural element to the shot.

“I think the bridge that takes you over to St. Joe island is a great image, especially with the diversity of trees around it.”

He says the best trick is to go toward what attracts or interests you.

“It really depends if you want to take photos of nature as the subject or if you want to capture a person, pet or other object.”

Experimenting with light and shadow are also tricks he uses. 

Local artist Ellen Van Laar lives along Lake Superior, 80 km north of Sault Ste. Marie, and works as a painter and photographer while also running a small retreat centre called Arts and Adventure. Her colourful paintings are currently on display at the Algoma Conservatory of Music near the The Machine Shop on the St. Marys river.

In terms of capturing the fall colours, Van Laar says to look for the small intimacies of nature: “Cameras are excuses to walk and see,” she says. “My best advice for taking fall photos is – don’t try to get it all into a single shot.”

Van Laar says that while a camera can be a great tool to enjoy fall, you have to make peace that it’s never going to be as satisfying as simply standing and experiencing the beauty before you. 

“Beauty is there – of course, it’s always there,” says Van Laar, who often gives guided nature tours of her area. “But I think there are tricks to isolate small moments – such as colourful leaves reflecting in puddles, the decomposition of soil, a leaf behind a colourful branch or opening, floating leaves.” 

As for locations, Van Laar says the trails through parks are the way to go, but that it’s also great to shoot near a water source. “I personally love to walk along the Montreal or St. Mary’s river where the spectrum of colours can be amazingly vibrant,” she says. “Fall days are truly going to bring colour drama almost anywhere you go in this region. The best trick is to find the small moments – and you don’t need an expensive camera to do that. You can use your phone!”

Shoot it, frame it, post it: fall is the season to photograph.