People love fall portraits. The second the first cool breeze blows through town, there are calls to set them up. And what’s not to love? You have the leaves falling, spectacular colours, that gorgeous mellow lighting, it’s the definition of picturesque.
Below are a few tips to get the most out of your fall portraits.
Location
You’ll want to choose a place that has a lot of trees to maximize colour. By the water is also quite nice, but be aware that it gets extra chilly this time of year. Unless you’re going for a specific look, avoid somewhere that’s merely an empty field, especially if you have a large group. It’s best to have some levels to interact with, such as stones or trees. When you book with us, you have access to Secret Cedars, our exclusive park, but we’re also happy to go on location.
Layers
Fall is one of the most unpredictable times of year. It can alternate between warm to brisk and back within the span of minutes. Turns out that the old adage holds true – wear those layers. Vests are great because they’re easy to slip on and off as the weather changes. Before your shoot, double check the forecast and plan accordingly. And if worse comes to worse, nothing cozies up a portrait sitting like a thermos of hot cocoa.
As always, make sure to coordinate your colours. If you’re going for a plaid theme for instance, make sure the colours compliment each other.
Timing
I’ve mentioned this before, but timing is crucial. Fall is when the days start to get shorter, so it’s best to schedule your portraits for the morning or early afternoon. Once you start dipping into the 5pm range, you run the risk of the weather getting colder and losing your light quickly. The middle of the day is when there tends to be the most colour as well.
Keep it Casual
Of course you can do a very formal portrait in the fall, but I feel the season lends itself best to more relaxed family portraits. Depending on the weather, it can be nice to sit on the ground and get a little closer to nature. If you want to make use of the leaves and trees around you, it’ll be a lot more comfortable in casual/outer wear.
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As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.