‘Tis the season of cool weather, fall scenery, lots of turkey, and fall pictures. Doing a family photo shoot is not only just an opportunity for Christmas card photos, but it is a great way to bond and have a fun day with your family. Make it fun and go to an apple orchard, or have a picnic and you will have not only great pictures but a fun day, as well. Planning family photos can be nerve-racking and stressful, but if you follow a few tips, you will be able to plan and take the perfect fall photos with ease! Here are my best tips:
Pick outfits that coordinate
One of the most important things when it comes to photography is to match. I see so many family pictures that look like a full rainbow and while that may be fun, you also want these pictures to somewhat fit in with your home decor since you will want to frame them and show them off. Because of this, I recommend choosing mostly neutrals with a few pops of color. So, maybe khaki, dark blue, and yellow, or white, dark blue, and nude. Even something like black, white, and light blue would be great for fall. Check out some of my other outfit ideas here on an earlier post.
Find the perfect location
Finding your perfect location can be hard, but luckily, North Carolina is filled with so many beautiful places such as Jeter Mountain Farm. Located just minutes from downtown historic Hendersonville NC, Jeter Mountain Farm is settled on 411 acres of rolling hayfields and a wooded forest. Jeter Mountain Farm is not only a running farm with 20 acres of tomatoes, 5,000 apple trees, a peach orchard, and a berry patch, but it is also an event venue. Jeter Mountain Farm says, “Jeter Mountain Farm spans over 400 beautiful acres of Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Its rolling hills reveal breathtaking views of the fields and orchards growing there.
Jeter Mountain Farm offers the highest quality fruit and produce around, magnificent barns worthy of hosting weddings and special events, and a farm fertile for forming memories that your family won’t soon forget. It is the perfect place for your family to build traditions and to enjoy time together. Dating back to 1813, the farm has a long history; we look forward to you making your memories here, and becoming a part of history at Jeter Mountain Farm!”
Doesn’t it sound gorgeous? When you choose a location for family pictures, make sure you choose a place with a variety of photo opportunities, just as Jeter Mountain Farm has. For example, here you are able to take pictures on the farm, in the woods, in front of the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, or even in their reception hall.
Trust your photographer
At the end of the day, you are not the one running the show and you have to trust the person that is coordinating everything. Hire a photographer that you trust to capture what you are looking for. If you have to constantly direct, you need to choose a different photographer next year. If this is your first time using a specific photographer, there may be a ‘getting comfortable’ phase, but as long as you did your research on the person, you should be totally fine!
Choose a good time
Lighting is everything when it comes to photography, so you have to make sure to choose a good time. F8 Photography says, “As natural light photographers we try to avoid squinty eyes so we’re looking to shoot in the shade or to get the sun at people’s backs. High noon – that’s tough/impossible to find. Generally, I prefer to be finished a morning shoot by about 11:30 & starting an afternoon shoot after 1 pm.
The Golden Hour is best. The much-favored light for photographers everywhere. This is the hour before the sunsets where the light shines soft and golden and is simply gorgeous and flattering. The golden hour is also the hour after the sun rises – but not many family portraits get scheduled at that time of day.” You also have to think about your children. Do they still take naps? If so, make sure not to schedule your session during nap time.
Have fun!
You are having a great day with your family, so let loose and have fun. You also want to make sure to have a photographer that understands this, as well. Digital Photography School recommends for photographers to “Unleash the enthusiasm and ask your family to run, jump, spin, give each other piggybacks, dance, play fight and in general – laugh! Get them doing things that will dispense with any rigidity or formality. Incorporating motion into group shots develops interest and instantly relaxes your subjects and therefore viewers.
To freeze action shoot between 1/125 to 1/500, you may need to crank up ISO in low light or use flash if necessary. Alternatively to incorporate a creative blur and reflect the connotation of movement use a speed of around 1/8 to 1/15. Employ Continuous AF if your camera has it and pan with the movement to keep the subjects sharp.”
These tips will help you achieve the look you want for family pictures that will be in your family for years to come!
This post was sponsored by Jeter Mountain Farms.
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