From Michelle of Michelle Rose Photo 

Believe it or not, it’s already time to think about fall family photos. Here are a few pro tips to help you take your best images yourself, no professional equipment needed! Put aside about 30 minutes to get your photos
and let’s have some fun!

All about that light 

The best time to take photos outside would be in the early morning or later afternoon, before sunset. Ideally you would find a location for photos outdoors in a shaded location. 

 

Think about your back drop

Once you’ve found your patch of shade, think about what you want to see in the background of your image. I would suggest tall trees or a more neutral background like the side of your home. If you’re feeling extra crafty you can hang or drape a simple white sheet or any type of blanket or drop cloth. Bring some throw pillows to get extra cozy! 

How do I do this myself?

Luckily these days cell phones have awesome camera capability! If you don’t have a tripod for your phone then I would suggest using a tall chair or ladder and propping your phone up with a rock, a full bottle of water or something heavy that can hold up your phone. 

Prop your phone up so that it’s almost straight up and down instead of tilted backwards or forwards.

Framing

When you are framing yourself and your family in your cameras and phones, leave room on all sides – top, bottom, left and right just in case you need to crop the image. It may feel silly to be a little bit farther away but you’ll want to have a little wiggle room.

Self Timer

Use the self timer on your phone‘s camera and set it to 10 seconds. You will have to run back-and-forth to the phone to reset your self timer, but I promise you it’s worth it!  For best photo quality you should use the rear facing camera, newer phones have excellent forward facing cameras which also allow you to see yourself as you’re taking the photo.

Now it’s time to play!

Once you do a bunch (try at least 10 shots) of posed self timer photos, I recommend setting the camera to the best quality video setting and hit record! You can take screenshots from your video of fun moments in-action.

Play around with your family, try sitting on a cute blanket (even a plain sheet is pretty!) or move around.  Lift your child up in the air, twirl around, have a tickle fight, do a laughing contest (who can laugh the biggest), bounce or dance with some music playing. You never know what amazing candid photos you might get when you’re not even trying. 

If you are overwhelmed doing DIY fall photos there’s no shame in hiring a pro. There’s always a perfect photographer in your area for you!

BONUS:

What the heck do I wear?

Fall family clothing is always so fun to plan, I suggest neutrals with small pops of color. My fall favorites are  denim, whites, creams and if you want a pop of color I suggest mustard yellow, burgundy, sage green or any shade of muted blue, pink, purple for fall.

Bribes/Snacks

It’s always a good idea to line up bribes and snacks for your little ones, I recommend Bananas Foster to have on hand to keep everyone happy! 

About Michelle

Photo by Wini Lao 

Since graduating from Syracuse University, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Photography, Michelle built her career by working at some of the most prestigious studios and publications in New York City.

Combining her experience in women’s magazines with her love of family and photography, Michelle stepped out on her own to focus on her true passion — creating gorgeous lifestyle portraits. Since 2016, she has thrived as a full-time photographer at Michelle Rose Photo, capturing her clients’ precious moments.

Michelle also had a professional goal of providing clients with a more accessible way to record forever memories, as well as help employ other entrepreneurial female photographers. As a result, her second business, Briar Rose Photo Co., was born!