17 Fall Photoshoot Ideas To Try!
Looking for some fall photoshoot ideas to try? Then you’re in the perfect place, because I’m about to share 16 of them with you!
Autumn is always a popular time for a family photoshoot, because the beautiful autumn tones create a colourful backdrop for your photos, and a wonderfully cozy and intimate atmosphere - perfect for families, children and siblings, maternity or engagement photos (in fact, any type of portrait!) that you want to take.
For the best results, I suggest that you combine a few of these fall photoshoot ideas, so that you can get a variety of different photos from one single session. And if you’re planning on doing some fall mini-sessions, you can take a few of these ideas for locations and / or props.
18 Fall Photoshoot Ideas to Try This Year!
First of all be sure to pin this so you have all these ideas for future reference!
Done that? Then without further ado, let’s crack on with our 16 fall photoshoot ideas…
#1 - Go to a park with fall-coloured trees
The simplest way to incorporate a bit of a autumnal feel into your photoshoots is simply to find an area where there are lots of trees or foliage that have those warm earthy tones. (I know! Who knew.)
If you have a forest near to you that would be ideal, but if that’s not close by, then the local park should do it! Just a few trees with those beautiful gold or auburn colours will instantly produce a wonderful backdrop for your fall photoshoot.
Don’t worry if the trees aren’t looking quite as bronzed as you would like - you can easily adjust the colours in Photoshop to make them more vibrant and “fall like”.
#2 - Visit a (quiet!) tree lined road or walkway
If the local park is out (they can get a bit busy) then finding a walkway or quiet road that is lined with trees is another great option.
You can use the road or walkway to create a line leading direct to your subject, so it’s a great composition tool too!
#3 - Throw leaves in the air
This may take a few tries to get right, but having your subject throw leaves into the air will give you a fun photo - in fact, this one is perfect for kids :)
#4 - Go to a pumpkin patch
We don’t have pumpkin patches in my neck of the woods, but if you do have one nearby, they could make a great location for your fall photoshoot.
Ensure that you ask the owner of the pumpkin patch before you start shooting, as you will probably need to pay them something for using their land. In other words, you can’t just rock up and hope for the best.
The good news is, that if you do get permission, you will probably be allowed to set up an little area ahead of time, or at least they’ll block off an area for you so you don’t have random children photobombing you just for fun.
#5 -Use pumpkins as props
Of course, you don’t need a pumpkin patch to have pumpkins! I’ve seen some amazing mini sessions set up just with some pumpkins of different sizes scattered about, so just adding a few into the scene will give you a nice autumnal feel.
To make this look better, get pumpkins of different sizes, shapes and colour. There’s different tones of orange, but also white, yellow or green striped ones, so mixing it up will give you a better overall look.
#6 - Go an an apple orchard or corn maze
Just like a pumpkin patch, both an apple orchard or a corn maze can be an amazing place for a photoshoot. and you can take some of the other ideas to mix up with that.
Again, that orchard or corn field belongs to SOMEONE, so you do need to speak to the owner of the field to get their permission first. You should do this all of the time, but it’s especially important if you are taking photos for commercial gain. Not only is it the right thing to do, but there’s nothing more embarrassing than you and your clients being chased away by a farmer with a pitchfork :)
#7 - Bring apples as props
Don’t have an apple orchard nearby? No problemo, you could incorporate baskets of apples as props instead.
I love seeing vintage crates or wicker baskets filled with apples (heck, throw in a pumpkin or two as well and call it an autumnal tableau) but even just a basket of apples held over one arm could be a cute little prop, especially for a a child.
#8 - Incorporate blankets
Blankets are another great prop for fall portraits, and they usually work best for either photographing someone on their own, or a couple, such as an engagement shoot, or siblings. (it might even stretch to a small family) For larger groups, you can still use it - instead of wrapping it around your subjects you could lay it out on the ground and have everyone sit on it .
If you get a blanket that has Autumn colours (again, think warm tones like beige, tan, ochre or burnt orange) it will help create a cohesive feel.
#9 - Use earthy tone flowers
Any flowers that are either dusky orange, deep burgundy, burnished golds or light or deep red, or (better yet) all mixed in together, can help give you a fall feel.
Have a look around the location you have decided on for your photoshoot and see if there are any flower beds or groups of bushes that have the colour scheme you want.
It’s often the colours that make any photo look “fall-like” so it’s a great way to mix it up - have some with trees as a backdrop, and then have your subject stand near some bushes or flowers that have the right colour scheme to mix it up.
Again, if there isn’t anything like this at your chosen location, you can bring it with you! Simply could have your subject hold a bunch of flowers that has that colour scheme.
#10 - Buy leaf overlays
In all honesty, it can be difficult to get photos where the leaves aren’t falling in front of someone’s face, or have the leaves scatter in a pleasing way, so another option is to buy leaf overlays that you can then apply to your images in editing. That way you don’t have to worry about capturing the leaves in the air perfectly during the session, as the magic of editing will take care of it for you :)
You will (of course) need Photoshop for this, but if you haven’t even got around to opening the program (or you have and but then immediately closed it again because it all looked so complicated) don’t worry, using overlays is usually pretty easy! Wherever you buy them from will also give you directions on how to add them to your photos in Photoshop, so you don’t really need a lot of experience.
You can get these from absolutely loads of places, but ones I like are from Cozy Clicks.
#11 - DIY a leaf crown
Another play on using flowers or leaves in those earthy tones is to create a “crown”. You can do this using just leaves, but you could also weave in some autumnal flowers. These can make a great prop, especially for children.
This step by step tutorial by The MerryThought will show you how you can rustle one up yourself!
#12 - Lay down on leaves
You’re not going to do this for the whole session, but at some point during your photoshoot, simply have your subject lie down on the leaves and either get down next to them and shoot from the side, or stand over them and shoot from above.
When shooting from the side, try using a large aperture to blur out the foreground and background so that the subject is tack sharp, but you get softness in front and behind your subject, which helps them pop from the photo.
Standing above them and shooting down is a great way to get a colourful background of leaves! (You might also want to check out these child photography poses for ideas)
#13 - Wear autumnal clothes or accessories
To bring a cohesive look to your fall photoshoot, it’s important to consider the tones of the clothing your subjects are wearing.
Again, think bronze, ochre, beige or burgundy for fall outfits, but even just having some accessories in those colours (think brown boots or a yellow umbrella) can work if you don’t want everything to be too matchy matchy.
#14 - Hold up a leaf
Even something as simple as holding up a leaf can make a great (not to mention inexpensive) prop! This is especially great for children, because it gives them something to do, but also good for adults who look stiff and awkward - giving them something to hold will make them look more relaxed.
#15 - Shoot through leaves / use tree as frame
Another way you can use those autumnal leaves or trees is to have them frame your subject.
Framing in photography is a great composition tool because it helps bring the viewers eye to your subject, and in the case of fall pictures, another way to introduce those fall colours!
#16 - Gather around a campfire
If you want a more lifestyle (or even documentary) feel to your images, having the family around the campfire can help you create some wonderful candid pictures! Just be careful of this idea if you have younger kids, as the stress of keeping them away from the fire might not be worth it.
If you do decide to go down this route, this post on How to Take Pictures Around the Campfire should help.
#17 -Incorporate halloween accessories
Since Halloween usually happens when the colours in nature have that beautiful fall tones, you can also incorporate some Halloween costumes or props into your photos!
Think like a witches hat, broom or a jack o lantern can be fun props, depending on the look you’re going for. (Be sure to check this out if you want some more Halloween photo ideas)
#18 - Plan your shoot for the golden hour
Ask any photographer what the most important element of a photo is and they’ll all tell you the same thing: LIGHT. This is true for any photo at any time of year, but you can make your fall colors come to life by shooting during the golden hour. This magical time of day is the hour just before sunset and the hour just after sunrise, then the sun is lower in the sky. Because the light is warmer at this time, it really makes the colours pop and gives everything a golden, magical glow.
Be sure to take at least a few shots with backlight at this time so you get a warm hazy effect too.
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So there you have it, 18 fall photoshoot ideas for your portraits this autumn. Of course, if you have any other ideas you’d like to share, then I (and the thousands of other that visit the blog!) would love to hear them! Leave ‘em in the comments.
Thanks so much for being here, and I wish you all the best on your fall photoshoot!
See you next week,
Audrey
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