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I am a firm believer that it’s never too early to start dreaming about your fall family portrait session! Here are my top five tips to have an incredible family portrait session this fall:

Choose your location wisely!

Start thinking about the “vibe” you want for these photos. There are so many options in the Washington, DC area! Do you want to be surrounded by gorgeous fall foliage? Or playing with your kids in an apple orchard? Or perhaps you want to frolic around a local farm with rustic vibes? Or, my personal favorite, sitting on your front stoop surrounded by pumpkins and mums! 

Additionally, some spots you’ll want to shoot in earlier in the season. For example, here in the Washington DC area, apples are typically peaking in August and September, whereas fall foliage doesn’t really peak until late October/early November. 

Either way, you’ll want to make this decision early so your photographer can find the right spot for you and acquire all required permits.

Think about the weather – and who will be out in it with you!

If you have very little ones, you might want to have your portrait session earlier in the season when there is less of a risk for a frigid fall day. OR you maybe you have a sweaty spouse (!!), so you might opt to have your session later in the season so you know they’ll be nice and cool for your photos 🙂 

Don’t freak out if you have a cloudy day!

There is no better time than autumn for a cozy, cloudy picture day. I personally LOVE a cloudy day for photos – the light is soft and diffused (i.e. more flattering) AND the fall colors typically “pop” more with a little cloud cover!

Have fun with styling! 

I am totally biased, but I LOVE fall fashion. Boots, sweaters, scarves in all my favorite colors: mustard, rust, olive green, cream, eggplant…I could go on and on! I always recommend starting with Mom’s outfit and then building the rest of the family’s outfits from there. Feel free to mix and match colors, patterns, textures – and then confirm with your photographer that what you’ve chosen will photograph well! 

Enjoy yourselves! 

Have fun with each other! If you’ve chosen the right photographer for you and your family, you’ll feel relaxed, beautiful and most importantly, you’ll be enjoying yourselves. Soak it all in as you enjoy this dedicated time with your family under the beautiful fall leaves, pick apples off of trees, or play together on your front stoop. 

Now, go have yourself an amazing fall photo session!!