Fall is a magical time of year for family photos. The crisp air, vibrant leaves, and soft, golden light make it a popular season for capturing memories. However, with the rush of the holiday season and changing weather, timing your session right is crucial. Here’s what to consider when planning your fall family photo session.
But first, there are two meanings when photographers discuss “booking a session”: the actual act of booking a session and the date you want your session to take place. This first section will refer to the Date of your session.
1. Timing for Holiday Cards
If you plan to use your fall family photos for holiday cards, you’ll need to factor in the time required for receiving your photos, ordering your cards, receiving your cards, and then getting them in the mail to send to all your loved ones.
• Calculate When to Book Based on Card Delivery. Let’s say you want to get your cards in the mail by December 15th, you will likely be ordering your cards by December 7th since most companies will take 5-7 business days to deliver. This means you’ll need to book your session before December 1st.
But remember, you’ll need to factor in when your photographer will deliver your gallery of images, too.
Ideal booking time: Schedule your session in late September to mid-October to stay ahead of holiday deadlines.
2. Photographer’s Turnaround Time
Ask your photographer about their editing and delivery timeline. Popular photographers often have longer waits during fall due to high demand. To avoid stress, clarify when you can expect your photos before booking.
Once you know your photographer’s turnaround time frame, factor that into your booking timeline. For example, my turnaround time during Fall is around 3 weeks. If you are ordering your holiday cards by December 7th, your session will need to take place before November 15th.
But, there are still a few more things to consider before picking that time frame for your family photo session.
3. Weather in Your Location
Fall weather can be unpredictable, ranging from warm, sunny days to chilly, overcast afternoons.
• Prepare for rescheduling: Discuss backup dates with your photographer in case of rain. A rescheduled session may need to take place on a weekday, at a different time of day than you originally planned, or several weeks later depending on your photographer’s availability.
Don’t risk picking the latest date possible for your session and miss your holiday card timeline because you need to reschedule your session due to extreme weather.
• Wardrobe Considerations. If you have your heart set on wearing sweaters in your family photos, you’ll need to pick a November date for your session here in South Texas. October rarely ever sees sweater-weather days.
4. Daylight Savings
The majority of photographers plan their outdoor photo sessions around when the sun rises or sets. This means golden hour photos on a summer evening will be relatively late (7:30 pm in south Texas) while a winter golden hour session will take place early (4:30 pm in south Texas). This has a big impact on when your family can schedule photos.
• Check what day daylight savings occurs. Plan around when sunset/sunrise fits best with your family’s schedule and routine.
For example, a winter evening session on a weekday may be impossible if your kids get out of school at 3:30 pm and you don’t leave work until 5 pm. Even if you get out early, you’ll need to factor in driving during rush hour on your way to your photo session location. Meanwhile, an evening session before daylight savings hits could be too late if you have kids with an early bedtime.
5. Fall Colors and Wintry Backdrops
Your desired backdrop for your family photos will also play a role in what time of year you choose for your fall family photos. Unfortunately, unless there are several cold fronts, leaves in San Antonio don’t change until November. If you’re hoping for fall colors in South Texas, you’ll either need to drive north to catch the leaves changing or wait until mid-November.
If you’re hoping for photos at a tree farm, these locations typically open at the end of October and close on Thanksgiving weekend.
6. Your Family’s Schedule
Don’t forget to think about your family’s schedule during the fall. Are your kids in sports or other after-school programs that may interfere with a weekday or weekend session? Do they get a fall break? Does their school have days when you need to dress them up, send them to school with special items, and get them ready for special events? Think about the events that will occur in the fall for both you and your kids and predict the more hectic weeks so you can avoid that time frame for your family photos. Remember, you want to be able to have fun and not feel stressed about your to-do list during your family photos.
• Choose a low-stress day: Avoid overloading your family’s schedule by picking a day when everyone is relaxed.
• Plan around naps and meals: For families with young children, choose a time that works best for their energy levels.
Advanced Tips:
• Outfit planning: Start planning outfits early to avoid last-minute stress. Coordinate colors with the season (think warm tones like burgundy, mustard, and navy). I recommend planning an outfit with layers so you’re ready to shed a layer if it’s 80 degrees or keep a jacket on if it’s 40 degrees and windy.
• Locations: Discuss with your photographer whether you’d prefer a park or urban setting. Consider whether you want a location with seasonal décor like a studio or a tree farm. Most places don’t decorate for the holidays until after Thanksgiving.
Also, some locations are more popular than others during the fall for family photos. If you have your heart set on a popular spot, consider booking your session earlier in the fall to avoid the crowds. Otherwise, you may need to choose a morning session time frame. There are a few parks that may be large enough to handle the crowds but the parking lots are not.
By keeping these factors in mind, you’ll be well-prepared to capture beautiful fall memories and stay ahead of the holiday rush. But, to do that, you have to first book your session. Here’s how to secure your photographer for your family photos in the fall.
When to Reach Out to Your Photographer
Has this been you? It’s November and you realize you need to send out holiday cards soon but also need an updated family photo for your card. You start searching for photographers (or maybe reach out to your favorite one from years past) and inquire about fall family photos or mini-sessions available. But you quickly find out that all the photographers you reached out to are booked for the rest of the year and have no more availability.
Here are some tips to make sure you get on your favorite photographer’s calendar and secure your ideal date:
• Join your photographer’s newsletter: Many photographers have an email subscription you can join to learn when they open their calendar for bookings, offer mini-sessions, or discounted sessions. Subscribers may even get first access or only access to dates and certain types of sessions.
• Follow your photographer on social media: Don’t need more emails? Make sure you’re following your Photographer on social media to get the latest updates on their offerings. They’ll share when their calendar is live, when minis are being offered, and when they have a last-minute opening or flash sale.
• Book early: Trust me when I say you want to book a session with your photographer as soon as they open their calendar for booking. This will vary depending on your photographer. I open my calendar seasonally (My spring calendar goes live during the previous winter. My fall calendar goes live during summer) while others open their calendar on January 1st. Some open their books one month in advance.
Find out when your photographer likes to open their calendar for booking and mark your calendar.
Remember, prime dates often go fast. Fall weekends fill up the fastest with family photo sessions and weddings. Your Photographer may also have personal events that make their weekend availability limited. There are only 16 weekends from September through November, and not all of those will be available for sessions.
Are you excited about fall photos? Get in touch to book your session!
