An autumn portrait session offers colorful backgrounds and soft seasonal light. Families and students often enjoy outdoor photographs at this time of year. A little planning helps you adapt to changing weather, choose useful locations, and keep everyone comfortable.
However, photographers like you might be a little less comfortable with the lack of control that outdoor photography presents. Here are some fall photographer tips for great outdoor portrait sessions.
Watch the Light (Technical Tips)
As you already know, lighting is a really big deal for making great photographs. This is especially true for outdoor photography when the lighting is different throughout the day. Fall is an especially good time to shoot during golden hour, since the golden colors of the season are really brought to life during the rising or setting sun. But, that doesn’t mean you should count out the cloudy days; overcast days are a great time for getting a soft, even light that doesn’t cause harsh shadows or make your subject squint.
Use a Filter
A circular polarizing filter can reduce reflections on foliage and reveal richer color. Rotate it while watching the effect, and check how it affects both the background and skin. It also reduces the light reaching the sensor, so review your exposure and shutter speed. Underexposure is not a substitute for polarization. Expose to preserve useful detail, then make careful color adjustments when editing.
Manually Set Your Aperture
Choose aperture for the portrait you want. A wide aperture can soften a colorful background, but it may leave too little depth of field for a group. Check that the important faces are in focus. Then choose a shutter speed fast enough for your subjects and adjust ISO as the light changes. Aperture priority or manual mode can both work well.
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Fall Backgrounds (Location Tips)
The amazing thing about fall backgrounds is just how many things look good in the backdrop of a shot. You can find a big patch of dying weeds, and (especially during golden hour) the shot will look like a beautiful golden texture that allows your subject to pop in the foreground. Or, you can shoot with brilliantly colored trees in the background and the color and contrast will make an amazing backdrop. Don’t get caught up in the idea of shooting leaves during the fall, think more about the colors and textures in the landscape around you and try to use them to frame your shot in a beautiful way.
Using Leaves
After just stating not to focus too much on the leaves, let’s also mention some of your shots can feature them. Let your subjects jump in the leaves, throw the leaves or sit in the leaves. The fallen leaves can make a great prop that will naturally add a fun element to the pictures as your subjects loosen up to enjoy the shoot.
Request Layers (Client Tips)
Fall days, especially golden hour, can be colder than you might expect. Make sure you ask your subjects to bring plenty of layers that can be added or removed as the weather (or picture) dictates. A subject can wear a shirt they like and bring a sweater or jacket to go over that. They could even bring a scarf for some shots and gloves for in-between shots. Warmer subjects are always happier subjects that take better portraits. You could even bring big blankets to wrap your subjects in to and from locations.
Find Inspiration
Make sure you ask your clients why they are requesting a session in the fall. Surprisingly, not everyone wants fall colors, and some clients might just be scheduling photos in the fall because of need or convenience. While one client might want the dying foliage and river in the background during golden hour, another client might prefer a brick wall. Talking to your clients will help you reveal potential inspirations for your photoshoot.
Learn More
Explore more fall photography ideas
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