Tips for a Fabulous Fall Photo Session
It’s the time of the year. Leaves are starting to change colors, corn fields are getting taller, pumpkin patches are starting to prepare and Starbucks has Pumpkin Spice drinks again! That means it is time for a Fall Photo Session! Whether you’re doing a family session, couples, just the kids, or the family pet, pictures taken in the fall are great for holiday greeting cards and gifts, so be sure to book your session with enough time to plan for your holiday needs.
WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR FOR FALL PHOTOS?
Let’s face it…sometimes in Elk Grove and Sacramento - even in the fall - the temperature still screams summer. If you want to take your fall photos in cute sweaters, long pants, boots and scarfs - be prepared to be a little warm for a little while.
Wear neutral colors - think white, tans, beige, khaki, gray, black and brown. Then add in some pops of color - yellows, gold, deep reds, burgundy, dark blue, etc. Clothes with texture are great options too. Think of something like a knitted sweater, a soft flowy dress, or shirts with lace accents.
Mix up the family’s attire a bit. You want to coordinate with each other - not match perfectly. I’m always happy to help provide ideas as well. We can have a consultation prior to your shoot to discuss attire and any other questions you may have. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration for attire for family photos.
Take a peek at my Pinterest board for some ideas and be sure to follow!
DON’T BE LATE
Running late can make the entire family feel stressed. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get to your family photo session on time. I schedule my outdoor family sessions around the natural lighting. If you’re scheduled for a sunset shoot, I’ve planned our time to allow for adequate time to shoot before we run out of the perfect creamy light for your photos. If you are late, we will run out of light which will cut your family photo session short. Sadly, I cannot control when the sun sets.
DON’T TELL THE KIDS TO SAY ‘CHEESE’
My job as your family photographer is get to genuine, candid smiles from everyone. I work hard to get those smiles for you. Saying ‘cheese’ or telling your child to smile actually prevents me from doing this, and results in fake smiles. I want the whole family to enjoy their session, relax, and laugh. That’s what allows me to capture those true smiles!
DON’T STAND NEXT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER
I strive to focus on capturing images that show connection and storytelling for my family photo sessions. This means that not all images will show everyone looking directly at the camera. However, I do always try to grab that one perfect “everyone-look-at-the-camera-and-smile” shot.
I LOVE that parents want to help get the kids to smile. After all, you are the ones who make them smile everyday and know how to get a good one. However, if you stand next to the camera, those adorable kiddos will be looking next to the camera, instead of at the camera. A good way to avoid this would be to stand directly behind the photographer and play peek-a-boo. That will give us a chance to grab a photo of them looking right toward the camera.
If you’re in the photo, be sure to let me work for those smiles! Most of the time, I will get the cutest smiles out of the kids when the parents are not looking at the camera because they are looking at the kids to see if they are smiling. Your job is to keep looking and smiling at the camera, while I engage the little ones.
