All about Autumn family photoshoots {photographer Windsor}

October 11, 2017 • Leave a Comment

Autumn is my favourite time of year - crunching through fallen leaves, bonfires, warm snuggly jumpers, hot chocolate in the warm after a crisp country walk, the promise of a festive season just around the corner. So it's no surprise that it's also my favourite time of year for photo sessions too - not least because of the autumn colours and the golden light we get.

For everything you need to know about a family photo session outdoors during Autumn, please read on...

Why go outdoors?

It's a good question - when I have a studio kit that I can bring to you - why would you go outdoors for a photoshoot? My style is relaxed, natural and all about having fun. Most kids I know are happiest when they're outdoors, breathing fresh air, with the space to run free. The light outside can also be awesome and at this time of year, I cannot get enough of the rich autumn colours. In short, the photos look great and it will be much more fun for the whole family!

What happens on an outdoor photo session?

We'll meet at our agreed outdoor location (more about that shortly) and we'll go for a walk. I'll start by chatting to the kids and getting to know them, putting them at ease in my company. Depending on their age and what they like, we might go hunting for bugs or fairies, we might be looking for trees to climb, or exploring in the woods (going on a bear hunt?).

It will take about an hour and a half. During our walk, I'll get natural photos of them playing as well as stopping every so often for some portraits together as a family. Whilst these are more composed, they shouldn't feel formal or posed - I encourage everyone to have fun, chatting together, telling jokes or tickling - it should feel (and therefore look) very relaxed and natural.

It will be fun - these are memories you'll be looking at for years to come, so it's important that they are genuine memories of a fun day out!

Where will we meet?

I have lots of great locations I use around Windsor, Maidenhead, Burnham, Ascot and Bracknell - we'll pick one that works for you and fits for your family (are you looking for a meadow where the kids can run free or do you have climbers that need trunks and fences they can climb on?!). I'm also looking for new locations around Marlow, Henley and Reading, so please let me know if you know of a hidden gem.

What should we do to prepare/ do we need to bring anything with us ?

The main consideration is what to wear (so that gets its own question, up next!). We'll have a consultation on the phone before your shoot where we'll discuss what you're looking to get from your photos. It's great if you can tell me things about your kids: Are they Paw Patrol, Minecraft or Disney Princess fans? Are they wary of dogs (we'll pick a location where there are fewer dog walkers)? Is there anything specific that makes them laugh?

I'll also discuss what you're most looking forward to, or equally anything you're concerned about, as it's just as important that you feel relaxed and enjoy yourself. If there's anything you're less happy with when you see photos of yourself, then please tell me, as I have lots of tips for flattering ourselves in photos.

On the day, I recommend ensuring everyone has been well fed, visited the toilet and is dressed for the weather. Please bring drinks and snacks, as well as tissues or baby wipes, that way we're fully prepared for unexpected hunger pangs or runny noses.

What should we wear?

This is the big question I get asked - there's a quick answer and a longer one! The simple answer is you should all be comfortable, so don't wear clothes that you wouldn't normally - particularly if you're a casual kind of family (which most of my clients are), don't feel you have to dress up for your photo session. There are a couple of guidelines that I recommend for everyone: The first is to keep it classic and simple with block colours, and avoid big pictures/ prints/ wording on clothing. Whilst your kid's favourite top may have their fave cartoon character emblazoned across it, it will draw your eye in photos, so ask yourself if you really want that hung on your wall (if the answer is yes, then go for it, I've never turned anyone away from a shoot for not following my clothing guidelines!). The second, particularly relevant in Autumn, is to layer clothes, so you can add or remove layers should running around make the kids hot, or if it suddenly gets a lot cooler. The longer answer is all to do with colours. You may be content just following the above guidelines and throwing together your favourite outfits, and that's fine by me. But I'm also conscious that you're investing time and money in a photo session that you want to treasure forever, so you may wish to apply a little more thought to your clothing. The key for me is co-ordination rather than matching - gone are the days of all wearing the same colour and matching completely - it's a little bit cheesy. Co-ordination is all about picking a colour palette and choosing clothes from that palette that will work will together. Below are a few suggestions that work for Autumn, but if none of them feel like they fit well with your family, then we can discuss it on your phone consultation - I'm happy to put a bespoke palette together based around the colours in the room you'll be displaying your images, a particular item of clothing you'd like to wear, or your favourite colours.
Teaming neutrals with denim ensures a classic and timeless look for your images. clothing - denim & neutrals	In the family image below, neutrals and denim have been combined with burgundy for a classic look that works well with autumn colours.
Try picking a colour and all wearing its different shades, teaming it with neutral greys or blacks. Here I've picked a quirky pumpkin-coloured scheme to work with the Autumn theme, but you don't have to be that bright... clothing - autumn oranges	...If orange is not your thing, then choose different shades of a colour that's more you. This is the same family from the image above, working layering by removing the neutral jackets to reveal various shades of blue. Blue is a perfect contrast with the rich reds and browns of Autumn. clothing - family photoshoot blues
Nature's colours during autumn are rich and bold, so a rich and bold colour palette works well - try a contrasting palette of burgundy, navy and mustard yellow. clothing - bold autumn colours	Below you'll see a rare photo of me with my family (I'm usually the other side of the camera), taken by the fabulous Nina Mace Photography based in Camberley. I wanted to go for a bold colourful scheme for our family, but none of us suits yellow, so we opted for blues, burgundies and purples which work well together clothing - autumn family shoot bolds

What if it rains?

A bit of rain doesn't bother me, my equipment is all waterproof, so I'm quite happy if you'd like to go out and do some puddle jumping. If, however, you'd prefer a Rainy weather outdoor photoshoot drier session, I'll be watching the forecast in the days before our session and if it looks like it might be rainy, we'll agree a contingency plan. Despite it feeling that we live in a rainy country, it's rare to have days where it rains non-stop. The photo of me with my family above was taken about 20 minutes after it stopped raining - we have a great one from the start of our shoot with the light glinting off the raindrops! We may agree to make a call an hour before the session and meet up if there's just a few showers. If it looks more torrential, then we can always postpone to later in the day or another date.

How do I book?

I was hoping you'd ask! You can see my prices here, then give me a call on 07968 620835 or drop me a message via the contact page to find out my availability and get booked in.

Keywords: family photographer windsor, family portraits, kids portraits, photographer ascot, photographer bracknell, photographer henley, photographer marlow, photographer windsor

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