It’s easy to see why fall is a favorite time of year to take family photos outdoors. The vibrant colors of the changing leaves provide a stunning backdrop for your family portraits. In this blog post, I’ll give you some tips on how to get the most out of your outdoor fall family photo session.
First, we will choose a location that showcases the natural beauty of the season. This might be a local park or even your own backyard where you can take advantage of the colorful foliage. In this case, the client loved the late-blooming goldenrod and we were able to find a field of them at our local park.
When it comes to outfits, mom chose colors that complemented the rich colors of the surroundings. Rich jewel tones and warm earth tones are perfect for this time of year. Coordinating outfits for the whole family will also create a cohesive look in your photos. I love how this family each wore a different color, but they all went well together and really popped against the background. (If you need help, I’ve got a Pinterest board of color palettes to give you some ideas.)
Obviously, scheduling is very important when taking outdoor fall photos. The best time to capture the fall foliage is usually in mid-October, but we all know that Ohio fall can be hard to predict. In this family’s case, that goldenrod was blooming in late September and the leaves were just beginning to change. I typically plan these fall sessions in the early evening to take advantage of the golden hour light. But early morning can work as well depending on your schedules. To have first dibs on this popular time of year, you’ll want to be sure you are subscribed to my VIP newsletter.
Finally, I know it can feel awkward to be photographed, but it’s part of my job to make sure you have fun! We will do some posed photos, of course. But I also love to take some candid shots of your family laughing, playing, and hopefully enjoying your time together. I love that we were able to include the family dog in this session. And their favorite shot ended up being the one of them laughing because the dog didn’t understand why they wanted her to face me and not them. (Dogs are just the best!)
