How to Prepare for Your Fall Session

7 Tips for Preparing for Your Fall Session

Fall is one of the most beautiful and popular time of the year for portrait sessions. Nature is at its most colorful and spectacular with all those vibrant fall colors, plus you get a chance to really play up your wardrobe with accessories in the crisp weather. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I love doing sessions during the fall.  Below are some tips on how to prepare for your fall portrait session.

1.Outfits and Accessories:  

Make use of accessories and clothing that play up the "fall" feeling. For example, opt for leather boots, cable knit scarves and comfy cardigans look amazing on the whole family and can really bring a picture to life. Tip: neutrals do well in the fall against all that foliage.

2. Booking and Timing:

Timing is everything when planning to book a fall session. Start paying attention to that shift in weather as summer melts into fall. Once the leaves start changing, call up your photographer and book a session. The changing of colors and falling leaves happens fairly quickly and essentially it is a very short season and photographers get booked up with sessions.  So, in order to not miss out don’t wait, the early bird gets the good sessions!

3. Locations:

Location is everything when it comes to a fall session. Fall creates an absolutely stunning backdrop of colors and foliage that will enhance your images.  Nature is truly at it’s finest.  There are lots of locations that offer the amazing colors and foliage that you would want in a fall portrait session.  I have a lot of locations to choose from that have particularly pretty backdrops. I'm also open to your suggestions.

4. Session Time:

Plan for a late afternoon, early-evening session, when the light is just gorgeous. We call this time of day the “golden hour”.  The beautiful warmth of light as the sun begins it’s decent in the sky makes for absolutely gorgeous lighting and deepens the coloring of the fall colors that bring depth and richness to your images.  Keep in mind that the days are shorter in the fall, so we need to plan accordingly to get that golden hour light.

5.Prepare to Play:

Chances are there are leaves will be scattered on the ground. I may have you throw leaves up into the air or something similar. You may even sit in the leaves and just snuggle as a family.  Remember, this shoot is all about capturing your family bond and having fun, so let loose and get into the season!

6. Pack the necessities:

It can get chilly in the fall, especially in the evening.  So, you are going to have some necessities on hand. I recommend a lip balm, moisturizer, warm packs for your hands, tissues, and, of course, warm apparel. Also, make sure you bring water to stay hydrated and snacks for the littles.

7. Plan for Comfort:

Wearing comfortable shoes and accessories will make the session a lot more enjoyable. Since we're going to be outside, we'll probably be doing lots of walking around to different spots. If those boots look amazing, but kill your feet, scratch them. If the scarf looks adorable on Timmy, but it's scratches his face and makes him unhappy, it's better left at all.  Planning for layers of clothing is good so you stay warm, but can shed some layers if it gets too warm. 

I think fall is one of the best times to do a portrait session.  Consider booking one today.  Contact me through my contact form and let’s get you set up ASAP.  I guarantee you will love your fall images!