Unique Ideas for Designing Your Fall Family Pictures | Fall Family Pictures in Colorado
Can you feel it?
The crisp Autumn breeze setting in. The smell of cozy fireplaces lighting around the neighborhood. The pumpkins in front of the grocery stores — not to mention the pumpkin spice craze of the season!
The golden leaves are peeking through — which means it’s Fall Family Picture time!
The most popular time to get an updated family picture for your Holiday cards — I know, no one is ever quite ready for that, but ready or not. So if you haven’t already, now is the time to set up your Fall family pictures!
But here’s something I hear all the time…
“I want to get updated family photos. The Fall colors are pretty, but every year, I feel like we get the SAME photo.”
Ready to change it up? I hear you. Here are a few tips for making your Fall family pictures more fun and different this year.
Unique Ideas for Designing Your Fall Family Pictures
Choose a Unique Location
Listen, everyone and their mother are deciding to do their Fall family pictures with the Fall foliage up in the mountains at the same parks. My point… everyone else is doing that. Your Fall family pictures should represent you and your family, your personality, and the fun you have together — not just a postcard backdrop. Plus, the majority of parks around Colorado charge a photography permit fee that takes up to 2 weeks to process. Avoid the hassle and make your Fall family pictures unique! I have a few favorite Fall locations that are small, tucked away, but also gorgeous spots so you’re not having to fight the crowds. It can be nice to have a little privacy, especially with little ones, so you can enjoy your time together, feel more relaxed, and get the best pictures possible!
Or, you might even decide to skip the Fall colors altogether and opt for an in-home lifestyle session! These are my absolutely FAVORITE to do with clients because we get to capture a little bit of the day-in-the-life all snuggled up at home and having fun together. If you’ve never done an at-home Lifestyle session before, I highly recommend it! (And don’t worry, I walk you through everything for ideas for how to do this.)
In case you need location recommendations around Colorado, check out some of my favorite photoshoot location ideas here.
Schedule a Different Photoshoot Time
As soon as the yellow leaves start to peek through, you know it's time to book your Fall family pictures! (Remember, the snow can come without warning so there's only a short window of the Fall colors.) For any photographer this time of year, weekends will always book up the quickest, which is when most people want to schedule their Fall family pictures. If possible, consider scheduling your Fall family pictures on a weekday evening, or if your schedule allows, a weekday morning. Weekdays will be less busy anywhere you go, and usually offer more flexibility for booking your session sooner.
We’ve all heard about the Golden hour prime-time lighting. I do recommend choosing an evening time before sunset — again why weekday evenings are great. But if you can, schedule your Fall family pictures for early in the morning. Yes, you’ll have to get up earlier to get everyone ready, but the soft morning sunlight and clear weather can make for beautiful photos as well! (Pro-tip: Never schedule your session for around Noon when the sun is high up in the sky because it will cause harsh shadows.)
Choose a Fall Color Palette for Outfits
This is often the most stressful thing about booking a photoshoot — figuring out what to wear, especially when you have to choose your own outfit as well as the rest of your family's. Here are my best tips for you. To keep it simple, choose just one outfit for everyone. If you’re doing your Fall family pictures outdoors with the Fall colors, it fits the scenery better if you choose Fall color palettes and attire. For example, jeans and a long sleeve blouse or light sweater -- something you would wear on a Fall day. Then, think Fall colors, such as burgundy, creams, darker greens, burnt orange, etc. Flannels can work as they are usually trendy for Fall, but make sure the patterns are not too busy or too much flannel is involved. Too many different patterns can be distracting and take away from the focus on you. Last but not least, matching everyone together is out.
Instead, choose a color pallet to match outfits to. This can look like one main color (like one of the above mentioned Fall colors), paired with a neutral color or two to help you choose outfits for everyone. For example, you might choose jeans with a dark orange and cream colors. Maybe Mom wears a cream shirt with an orange scarf, while Dad wears an orange flannel, etc. (Pinterest is great for this -- here are some color palette examples to help you!)
Bonus Tip: If you have little ones, it’s always inevitable that kiddos may get dirty or spill something on their clothes last minute. Just to be safe, you might throw in a backup outfit just in case!
Consider Special Props & Activities
If you’re planning your Fall family pictures outdoors with the Fall colors, I usually recommend simple and candid photos are best. You might decide to bring a blanket with you to your Fall family pictures so you can sit on the ground together as a family or cuddle up with the blanket around you all for a few photos. Other than that, keep it simple. During my client's Fall family pictures, I like to capture both the traditional, everyone smiling and looking at the camera photos, as well as lots of candids of families being and playing together. This way your Fall family pictures are focused on your family and the beautiful scenery.
If you’re planning your Fall family pictures as an in-home Lifestyle session, I usually recommend choosing more props and activities to be the focus of your photos. Think about the activities and hobbies you like to do with each other or as a family. What are normal, fun activities for your family? Ideally, come up with 2-4 different activities that we can do during your Fall family pictures. This is a great way to capture your family as a-moment-in-time — the ages of your kiddos, the activities and interests you share or do together, each of your personalities, and remembering your smiles, joy, and fun together. Maybe you enjoy a weekly game or movie night. Maybe there are certain sports or evening bike rides you enjoy. Maybe you game together or like to bake. Or maybe there are special toys or stuffed animals that go everywhere with your child right now. All of these things are perfect to incorporate into your Fall family pictures.
Before Your Fall Family Pictures
It's really easy to feel stressed when you’re preparing for your Fall family pictures. Remember to relax. The whole point to doing Fall family pictures is to get great pictures and memories to remember and cherish for years to come, not to mention display in your home, office, photo books, gifts for family members, or share on holiday cards. BUT, you don’t want to look at your photos and remember how stressed you were, how your child threw a fit, or how you fought the whole time (and believe me, I’ve seen this before). Instead, this is your time to enjoy with your family. Have FUN! This way, when you look back on your family pictures, you'll remember the love and joy being with your family. So, choose the outfits, gather the props, but also get a good night’s sleep, leave extra early, and don't forget to breathe and enjoy.
After Your Fall Family Pictures
As I suggest arriving extra early to your Fall family pictures to avoid the stress, I also encourage you to set aside time after your photoshoot to continue enjoying with your family. Maybe the photoshoot takes a little longer than planned. Maybe you celebrate and go out to eat or get ice cream afterwards. Take this time to just enjoy and be with your family. This will make your experience even sweeter.
Plus, when you get your Fall family pictures back, don’t forget… You have bragging rights! Share your photos and rave gratitude about your little family. Order some new prints or canvases for your home. Design your holiday cards and get a head start. Or set aside an evening with your family to put a photo album or photo book together with your favorite photos and memories from this year. Don't just let your pictures sit on your hard drive. Enjoy them!
Ready to Book Your Fall Family Pictures?
If you’re ready to book your Fall family pictures, let’s chat!
How Often Should You Update Your Family Pictures?
Over the years, I've gotten to photograph hundreds of families and watch them grow, change, get older, graduate, get married, start a family of their own, and more. While it’s fun to look through photos to see how your loved ones grow and change over the years, the sad truth is that photos are our forever memories when loved ones pass away as well. That's why it's so important to update your family pictures regularly, ideally every year.
Check out my other blog post 3 Reasons Why Updating Your Family Photos Every Year is Essential to learn more.
How to Prepare for Your Photoshoot
If you need tips preparing for your own Fall family pictures, check out my other blog post, How to Prepare for Your Family Photography Session.
Or maybe you're designing another type of session? Check out this article for preparing for your Engagement session. Check out my Ultimate Guide for preparing for your Senior portraits. Or inquire here to design a photoshoot to fit you!
Closing Notes
I hope this helps you ease into your experience and have fun with your family this time of year! Yes, the picturesque landscapes of Colorado during the fall season are beautiful, but the experience you get to have with your family capturing your memories and smiles is priceless.
Whether you're planning for your Fall family pictures or another type of photoshoot, I'm excited to help walk you through everything to make it easier for you to enjoy this time with your family. It's always my goal to capture the best pictures for your forever memories!
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