The main issue is usually Auto White Balance, not just contrast. In Auto, the camera tries to neutralize strong color casts, so warm sunrise light can be “corrected” into a duller, greyer look.

Try this:

• Set white balance manually to daylight/sunlight or cloudy instead of Auto.
• Shoot RAW (or RAW+JPEG) so you can fine-tune white balance and contrast later without harming image quality.
• If your camera allows it, add a little contrast in the picture style/profile, or adjust shadows/darks in editing.

Also, the scene itself is tricky: bright sunlit leaves mixed with dark trunks, grass, and bits of sky can confuse Auto exposure and metering. The camera doesn’t know the glowing leaves are your subject, so it averages the whole frame.

Helpful technique changes:

• Recompose to include less dark foreground or distracting bright sky.
• Meter/expose more for the lit foliage if possible.
• Review the image and adjust rather than relying on full Auto.

So: switch off Auto White Balance first, consider RAW, and be more deliberate about what part of the scene the camera is exposing for.