As the leaves begin to turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, it's the perfect time to capture the beauty of fall with your family photos. The crisp air, cozy sweaters, and stunning autumn colors create a magical backdrop for your family portraits. Some of my favorite ways to capture the fall and make sure your family session goes off without a hitch are: Location, Posing and Activities, and Wardrobe. As your Syracuse family photographer, I want to make sure you get the best experience as possible with cherished memories to hold onto.

Location: As I’ve lived in Syracuse a while now, I am always on the lookout for the perfect locations for family photos. When I’m scouting for new locations, I always take into account where the sun will be in the sky at all times. I’m also looking for the most colorful foliage I can find, because that’s what is going to set your images apart for the season. If you’re looking for an outdoor, natural space for your fall pictures, I tend to go for locations with streams, fallen leaves, and big open fields. This type of location is going to give us such a beautiful backdrop for your images.

As far as urban locations for family photos in the fall, we can easily highlight the season with decor and fallen leaves along the sidewalks and shop fronts. Downtown Syracuse has beautiful architecture that will give such amazing texture and interest to your images while also allowing those natural elements to come through. You really can’t go wrong with either type of location for your family photos.

siblings hugging during fall family photos

couple embracing during the fall in syracuse ny

mother and daughter hugging during family pictures

Time of Day: I typically start my sessions about 90 minutes before sunset which is going to give us that beautiful golden glow. It will highlight the colors of the fall foliage perfect without washing any color out from the bright mid day sun. Another benefit of starting closer to sunset is, no one will be blinded and squinting during our session! Win win!

Wardrobe: For fall family photos, I always love to play around with different textures and layers of outfits. My principle rules are never wearing large logos and bright, neon colors. Those two in particular are distracting and can cast colors back onto your skin in a non-flattering way. No one wants neon green reflected back onto their skin! I also suggest my clients stick to lots of neutrals with earthy tones thrown in. Styling your family in the same outfits will likely date your photos, whereas if you pick a color palette and pull from a few different shades, everyone will compliment each other rather than matching exactly. Embrace those textures and layers in your wardrobe! Fall can be unpredictable and finicky so dressing in layers not only will keep you warm, but it adds visual interest to your photos. Sweaters, scarves, jackets, and hats can all contribute to a cozy and stylish look.

tickle fight between mother and son during fall family photos

family pictures in the fall in syracuse ny

little boy laughing during family session

little girl smiling for the camera during family pictures

Enjoy Your Family Time: Posed portraits are beautiful, but the magic often lies in candid moments. Encourage your family to interact naturally, play in the leaves, or share a laugh together. These candid shots capture genuine emotions and create cherished memories. During our session, I’ll likely give you simple actions to do so that you’re not so focused on the camera and smiling nicely, but rather you’re looking at your loved ones and embracing them. Our sessions are always lots of fun with movement so no little ones are getting bored and restless. We’ll explore and walk around to find the prettiest leaves and find out who can give mom the biggest kisses!

Fall photos is a timeless tradition for most families, and I completely understand why. The season is changing and provides the most beautiful colors and backdrop and the drop in temperature allows for those cozy, snuggled shots that everyone loves to remember. Family photos can be so incredibly fun and heartfelt, and should definitely be on your bucket list here in central NY!