Family Autumn Photography

The nights are drawing in, Christmas is getting ever nearer (I said it!), and those beautiful red & golden leaves on the trees won't last forever. I am so sad that I haven't been able to photograph as many autumn photo sessions this year as I expected, it's my favourite time of year and I believe everyone should be able to make the most of capturing their family enjoying time together. By the time we come out of lockdown, it will be December and winter will be saying a frosty hello, I’ve decided to do a blog on how to get the most from your own autumn photos while you’re out and about with your family over the next couple of weeks in lockdown.

I thought i’d share some photos from a recent family session I had with a wonderful family just before sessions had to stop. With their third child on the way, they wanted to ensure they had lots of beautiful and fun memories to keep and look back upon before the newest addition to their family adventure arrived!

Have fun and enjoy the moment!

These guys were absolutely fab at their session, in fact all of my clients have been really open to just enjoying the moment and having fun! Anyone who has had their photos taken with me know that one of my main priorities is to make you feel as comfortable as possible, for the kids to enjoy themselves and most importantly for everyone to come away from their session feeling excited to see their photos. As soon as we met up I began to engage with the children, mum & dad, taking the time to make them feel a bit more at ease before we began. We then started joking around and just enjoyed our time together.

When you go out exploring and want to take photos, there are lots of fun games that you can play to keep everyone entertained – throw leaves in the air together, or ask your children who can run towards you the fastest. If you have a younger child and an older sibling get them to hold hands and walk towards you and then get them to lean in for a quick cuddle. If your little one needs some encouragement get yourselves in the photos too! You want to capture the moments of genuine laughter and smiles!

Try a different perspective

Harry and Grace were brilliant at listening to what I asked of them, i’d gone off with Grace to get some photos with her mum and when I returned I found Harry lying on a fallen log. I said - right stay still, don’t move! (He must have thought I was a bit mad) I checked my settings and quickly got this shot of him, grinning and just looking so chilled out. Of course, I couldn’t not try this with Grace so she went next.

We all know the good old selfie pose, but take advantage of all the wonderful colours autumn has to offer and try out different perspectives. It's always a great idea to get down onto the same level as your children and helps capture some great expressions. If you're using your phone you might want to try using portrait mode and set the focus point in your subjects eyes to ensure you get a soft background. Look out for catchlights (the reflection you sometimes see in eyes from light) - it will give your children’s eyes that extra bit of sparkle!

Visit your local parks

For this photoshoot I suggested several places to the family and they picked Harlestone Firs as the location for their family session. I won’t lie, anyone who follows my business pages knows how much I adore Harlestone Firs - it will always be my happy place, it’s also absolutely beautiful in Autumn so I was delighted and had places in mind straight away to ensure there was lots of variety in their photos.

It's not hard to find gorgeous spaces right on your doorstep during November, it can be as simple as visiting your local park or maybe venturing to the forest for a muddy walk and lots of fun. Explore and make the most of the fresh air and being together! Experiment with playing hide and seek and get your children peeking out from behind a tree or sit on a fallen log - it’s all about taking advantage of the natural elements you have around you!

Think about framing

Part of the importance of having a family session in Autumn is about capturing all the beautiful colours it has to offer, enveloping warmth and rich tones around the family and children you’re photographing. Whilst there were lots of close ups of this family too, I wanted to make sure there were lots of portraits with variety - In a few photos I shot towards the sun, some I framed the trees and their branches around my family, whilst in others I let the forest sit as a natural backdrop.

For portraits, try to create a visual space around your children or partner, give them lots of room to breath so that the beautiful scene behind and around them helps to frame them. This will really help tell your story and give your photos context. Remember to get yourself in the photos too, if you’ve gone out with your partner get them to grab the camera or phone and jump in for a photo with the kids, take it in turns or get a family selfie!

What to wear?

As the weather gets colder, it’s the perfect time for layers, accessories such as scarves, hats & chunky knits all look fab! It’s also good to think about colours and how you’re all going to look together. Warm rich tones or soft neutrals will all go well against the beautiful backdrop of Autumn. You might be like this lovely family who all rocked blue denim jeans, warm soft coats and wellies!

I hope this helps people who love Autumn just as much as I do and love all the colours it brings! Lockdown hopefully ends on the 2nd December and I’m so excited to get back to photographing lovely families. Whilst autumn might be saying goodbye there are still lots of beautiful places we can visit, so If you’d like to book in for a wonderful winter outdoor session then please get in touch for availability!