Make your autumn photographs look their best with these tips

Forget magic hour: a localphotographer says this time of year is magic season in British Columbia.

Barry Brady says all across B.C., fall is the time of year to hone your photographic skills, and this fall's weather has been especially cooperative through most of the province.

"It's amazing, isn't it? The sky is blue and we've got beautiful colours," Bradytold On The Coast guest host Gloria Macarenko.

In addition to his work as a photographer, Brady organizes Vancouver photography and photo walks meetup groups and offers advice on taking better shots in the city.

Here are some of his tips:

• If you want to photograph trees, try not to point the cameradown astreet. Instead, take advantage of the blue, yellow and red light and shoot up into the foliage to get different coloured backgrounds.
• Don't worry about expensive equipment if you're just learning; smartphones take great, high-quality photos these days. When he's using his smartphone, he uses apps Camera+ and Snapseed to take and edit photos.

• If you're in Vancouver, the West End, Yaletown, False Creek, Coal Harbour, East Vancouver and Queen Elizabeth Park provide material for excellent photographs. Outside of Vancouver, he says Whistler and northeastern B.C. offer great opportunities especially as snow starts to fall.
• Try to look for the light at "magic hour" sunrise and sunset, when "the light is really nice and soft and gentle."

You can find out more about Brady's photo walks online.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast