Fall is the perfect time to grab some updated family photos and all of the great festivals and pumpkin patches make for some great outdoor backgrounds. Here are 5 tips for getting the best shots no matter the circumstances!
1) Pick your place and then check it a day or so before your photo shoot. If you are counting on full fall foliage on the trees, make sure it's still there. Mother Nature (and that wind off the lake) can bring all of those gorgeous leaves down to the ground.
2) Pay attention to the sun. The days getting shorter and those "golden hours" of light getting more & more precious with each passing week and fall light can act as a great backlight in photos. Don't worry though, a cloudy day, or even pictures at night under the city lights can deliver interesting photographs.
3) Props can be useful when working with kids and trying to turn a frown into a smile, but think carefully about which ones you bring in case they need to end up IN the photo too. We have brought our children's favorite "loveys" to help elicit smiles and never worry if Puppy or Lamby makes a cameo in a shot or two. Think how great it will be to look at those captured memories decades down the road.
4) Wardrobe is the most stressful for me every time we try to take a picture as a family. I want everyone to be comfortable in what they are wearing so they are in turn comfortable in front of the camera BUT I also want us to look nice. I tend to start by picking one color that we all look good wearing (often it's blue for us) and then I start pulling items from our closets in various shades of that color. In addition to comfort I try to pick clothes that are:
- seasonally appropriate
- neutral in color
- classic in style
- no logos or characters
5) Let the photographer get a mix of posed and candid photos - you may go into the day thinking you know exactly what photographs you want to send out on the holiday cards, or hang over the couch, but keep yourself open and you may just be surprised!
This content is sponsored by TK Photography Chicago
| Looking for more Fall fun? Check out our full Fall Guide!  |
