Image location: Toadbury Hall. Photographers: GingerAle Photography
Toadbury Hall in Autumn
This beautiful countryside estate in Muldersdrift has a natural wood that explodes in colour every Autumn. No wonder so many brides choose it for their autumn weddings! Book a picnic or meal at their restaurant and take your camera along to capture the beauty.
Emmarentia Dam
Emmarentia Dam is always a picturesque location, whether it's summer, winter, autumn or spring. Not only is the dam itself calming and inviting, but the botanical garden next door is also something any photographer ought to take advantage of at least once or twice in their life. In autumn and winter, if you arrive before sunrise, you get the opportunity to take stunning dew and fog photographs. Sure, it's quite nippy, but the outcome is so worth it.
Delta Park
Delta Park is the perfect place to shoot if you're looking for a juxtaposition of the man-made city and mother nature in the city. On one hand you have the waterfall, small wildlife and birdlife and on the other is the Johannesburg buzz, views of the skyline and geographical contours that blend the two worlds quite seamlessly.
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Walter Sisulu Gardens in Autumn
This is another scenic place in Johannesburg with a waterfall and stunning plant life. With its abundance of flora, we recommend you go early for the dew and sunrise images. Or you could go in the late afternoon for golden and sunset images, with the chance of catching its resident nesting eagles in full flight. Absolutely breathtaking.
Hartbeesport Dam
Hartbeesport Dam is a favourite for most photographers and photography students. It's perfect for a day's road trip to explore the dam, the partially deserted streets and the zoo to take in all the nature you can. You can even turn the venture into a weekend getaway!
Rietvlei Zoo Farm
This is another awesome spot to go to for the photography opportunities and the potential road trip and/or weekend getaway. The farm offers other fun activates, so you can really take full advantage of this and capture some great shots you would have otherwised missed on your own.
Zoo Lake in Autumn
Although Zoo Lake is more popular for braais and socialising, when you go there to observe and appreciate nature, there are some hidden gems worth capturing and exhibiting. As with most of these venues, it's best to arrive before sunrise to capture the serenity of nature before the Johannesburg buzz begins.
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No leaves- but still beautiful
These locations offer less in the way of colourful leaves, but they're still beautiful autumn locations for a variety of other reasons. Check them out below:
Munro Drive, Houghton in Autumn
The top of Munro Drive in Houghton is the ideal spot to see the northern cityscape of Johannesburg. You won't be able to see the Johannesburg skyline from this point but you can definitely indulge your lens in some awesome shots of Sandton and Randburg. This is also a great spot for spring photography, so if you fear the cold make sure you go during the warmer months.
Northcliff Hill in Autumn
Northcliff Hill will definitely be chilly in autumn, however, you can also bask in the afternoon sun while snapping some cityscapes and winter flower stills on the hilltop. Round off the photographic afternoon with a mug of hot chocolate or a glass of red wine, although we don't advise shooting and drinking – for your camera's sake.
Melville Koppies
It doesn't have much by way of autumn leaves, but here you can get some stunning shots of the autumn sky that have a very noir effect to them. The rocky environment turns the whole experience into an adventure of its own, so not only will it be a photography excursion but also a mini hiking trip. From here you can also get a beautiful shot of the Johannesburg skyline. There's no getting over that beauty!
Inner-City Johannesburg
Inner City areas such as Newtown, Braamfontein and Maboneng always have awesome graffiti, street art and street style to photograph. If you don't want to capture an influx of people walking on the streets then autumn is the perfect time to snap in these areas. Plus, the grey weather will definitely enhance your photographs in a unique manner.
Would you like to join the Joburg.co.za team on our very first InstaWalk? Which location would you like to visit first?
