Street photography tip: Autumn is the perfect time to photograph umbrellas

Saturday 1 November 2025, 16:32 by Michiel Heijmans | 1,985 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Every season has its own charm. In autumn, the forest turns brown and the city trees lose their leaves. Umbrellas turn inside out in the wind. Of course, it rains in spring too. And in summer. But autumn has that little bit extra.

Middelburg - f/4.5, 1/340s, 320 ISO @ 35mm
In autumn, I like photographing people wandering through the city with their heads bowed, an umbrella above them. A street photographer with guts would fire a flash straight into the umbrella, but I don't dare. I prefer a more atmospheric image.

A man with an umbrella approaches, passes me and I turn around to take the photo. Only his long coat emerges from beneath the red umbrella, along with his reflection in the puddle on the ground.

Those reflections are an added bonus. At the beginning of the evening, when dusk sets in, you can find the most beautiful colours in those reflections. The wet pavement reflects the light blue neon light. My camera in a frog's-eye view, just above the puddle of rainwater.

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About the author

Michiel is professioneel straatfotograaf en geeft workshops en lezingen over straatfotograﬁe. Hij schrijft columns voor Focus Magazine en is erg actief op Instagram. Daar vind je dagelijks inspiratie en tips voor je eigen straatfotograﬁe!

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