Here are a few of my favorite fall family picture ideas that will help make the photo shoot easier for you, your family, and your photographer! Fall in Texas brings thoughts of cooler weather, pumpkin spice, and of course fall family pictures! Taking family pictures in the fall also give you pictures you can use for Christmas cards and other Christmas gift ideas.
The best fall family picture ideas start with a good location, nice outfits, and nice poses, so let’s put all of this together and make some memories!
Family picture locations
Most of the examples that I give for this writing will be based on the Houston, Texas Metro area but this can apply to any city you choose as most of the options are available. Some may require a drive, but for nice fally family photos, it will be worth it!!
While there are options for doing family pictures in a studio with backgrounds, you have better choices by taking family pictures on location. Within the Houston area, several popular locations for family pictures come to mind and the choices come down to your likes.
Are you more of an urban type? Then locations like Downtown Houston are perfect. The Theater District, Discovery Green, Bayou Place, around City Hall offer many choices and options. Houston even has horse drawn carriages that would be perfect to use for a family Christmas card photo! Tinsley Park offers an amazing view of the Houston skyline as well.
If you are more of the suburban type, locations like Hermann Park, Mercer Botanical Gardens, or the Houston Arboretum have plants, trees, flowers and paths that offer great backgrounds for your fall family pictures. While we may not have the fall color in the leaves in most places in the Houston area, you still have some wonderful background to use. As you head out of the city, west and northwest specifically, there are barns, ranches with hay bales, and fields of grass that provide perfect backgrounds.
One note on some of these locations, please call ahead as some of them require permission and others, a fee to use the location. You don’t want to just show up and then are turned away because it was not scheduled. There are a lot of locations that photographers know that are private and secluded, but we share those with our clients only to keep them special.
Family picture outfit ideas
While we typically do not get fall weather until later in the year, it is still cooler and you can wear fall like outfits for your family pictures. Above all, be comfortable and relax. Often, during the family photo session, you can change outfits and that allows you to be creative. Take some of the family pictures dressed up and take some more casual.
For example, the men can wear a shirt and tie with a jacket for the dressed-up part of the family pictures and then just remove the tie, jacket, and put on jeans for the causal part.
As a family, some wear the same color top and jeans, some wear lighter shades but different colors and still others wear bolder colors. Plaid is popular now and so are earth tones and fall like colors – red, yellow, brown, etc.
Family picture poses
So, you have the locations and the outfits, but what about your poses? Above all, you want to look as natural as possible. The family pictures should be a true reflection of your family. If you are the affection type with lots of hugs, show that in the photos. If your family is not as touchy, then there are poses that can show closeness without touching.
The key is to have fun and be yourself. Your photographer can assist you in poses, but it is also good to have a few of your own in mind beforehand. Act out your favorite movie scene or music video. Take your family tradition from the house to the location. Have a family picnic, play a board game, even a pillow fight! But again, have fun and make those memories!
I hope these fall family picture ideas were helpful, but, the best thing to do to prepare for the fall family pictures is to be organized as much as possible before the session. Schedule a good time for the pictures with your photographer and if you have younger children, make sure they have eaten and gotten a good nap in so they are in a good mood for the photo shoot.
I would love to know what you think about this article and if it was helpful, feel free to share. If you need a photographer for your fall family pictures, I would love to talk to you about pricing and options to see how I can serve you. Send me a message and I will get back to you promptly.