When it comes to fall photoshoot ideas, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with Pinterest trends, Instagram trends and all other social media.. But when it comes to photoshoots, I love keeping it simple. Less props, less money out of my pocket and less distraction from the client who wants to be the subject. Some of these ideas require just researching your area and finding out what’s near you. Some of the others are a little bit more shopping on your end and seeing what works best. But- my advice is to make the most of it!

1. Wildflowers in Bloom

Take advantage of the season! In my area of northwest Florida, almost all of the local farms have sunflowers and wildflowers in bloom. There’s a small fee to enter the farm and you can get the most incredible photos mid-day or at golden hour. You can even jazz it up with a flower crown or being along some wild flower cupcakes!

2. Take it to the Pumpkin Patch

I’ll be honest, when it comes to Fall Photoshoot ideas, this might be my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong, the photos always turn out adorable, but hear me out.

• The farms are pretty far away from where I live. I have a ton of clients with young families. Long drives can make for cranky babes.
• Farms are dirty. And by dirty, I mean… I had no idea how dusty I would be leaving a pumpkin patch. It was particularly dry this season so my clients’ strollers, clothes, and bodies were covered in orange dust. I imagine that’s better than the latter of mud!
• Finding a great spot is challenging. There are happy families all over looking for their pick of the patch which is beautiful in itself. But trying to get a great shot is tough.
• Pumpkins are real plants. This means some of them bloom early and some of them bloom late. There are flies and rotting pumpkins scattered around the patch. This would not bother me if it was a regular visit. But, clients were swatting at flies and the smell and look of rotting pumpkins can take away from the aesthetic of the shoot. (I’m saying sarcastically because it’s pretty obvious!)

Aside from all of this, visiting the pumpkin patch is a right of passage into childhood. I try to gather up as many good looking pumpkins as I can and get them in a group. Then, I capture it into a lifestyle session rather than getting those perfectly posed photos.

3. Create your own Pumpkin Patch

For the year of 2023, this is what I opted for. The beach is so close to where we live and fall is the best time of year to visit the beach. The visitors have thinned out. It isn’t so hot. Families are looking forward to showcasing the Emerald Coast for their holiday photos. I started off by creating a mood board and a vision of colors from the emerald coast and decided on a more neutral theme. If you know me, I LOVE color. But I wanted something that made families feel at ease and calm going into the fall season. I decided to go with light blue, light green, and ivory hues and set up in the dunes. I also grabbed a bale of hay because why not? It add height, dimension and gives the babies something to sit on or against while we’re photographing away!

The best pumpkins I found were a little pricey but so worth it. They’re from Lowe’s and they have some weight to them so they don’t blow over in the wind. You can grab them here.

The smaller pumpkins are from Wal-Mart and they were a great fill-in for the empty space and made the scene look full. You can find a huge variety of the pumpkins here.