Ten Tips for Better Fall Pet and Family Photos

Today is the first day of Fall. Temperatures are finally getting cooler. The leaves are starting to change colors. Fall flowers are starting to bloom. And apples taste their best (if you’ve never tried Honeycrisp apples, you need to!). Autumn also is a really popular time to take family photos (for the first three reasons, not the last). Here are ten tips for taking better pet and family photos.

Use the Right Lighting

1) The right light makes a huge difference in how fall colors look in your photos. It’s best to take pictures in the early morning or late afternoon. The sun is lower in the sky, which is a more flattering angle. Direct, overhead sun washes out the colors, reducing their vibrancy. It also creates harsh shadows on people and pets.

2) Bright, overcast days also really make colors pop. Those days are evenly lit, which is flattering for both pets and people. When possible, have everyone face the direction of the sun (even though you can’t see it). This will put great light in their eyes.

3) Have the sun light your dogs and the background from the front or slightly to the side. If you are taking the pictures and facing your dogs, the sun will be behind you or over one shoulder. This will put nice light on both your pets and the background.

Photograph of Redbone Coonhoun Mix outside in the fall

Photo of Black Dog in Front of Fall leaves

Choose the Right Angle

4) Shoot from a low angle to put the leaves or other fall foliage directly behind your dogs. There often is a lot of space between a tree’s leaves and the ground. If you photograph your dogs straight on, you’ll see tree trunks, not the beautiful leaves. You can easily fix this but geting lower than them. Lie on the ground or put them at the top of a hill and shoot from below. This puts the color behind your pets and reduces the visibility of tree trunks and “empty” space.

5) Elevate your dogs (or cats or other pets if they go outside). Put them on a chair, crate, or anything that gets them off the ground. Similar to shooting from a low angle, this also puts them on the same level as the foliage.

Photography of cat sitting on crate outside in the fall

Photo of French Bulldog Puppy Taken Outside in Front of Fall Foliage

6) If there are a lot of leaves on the ground, shoot from a higher angle. Also leave room in front of and behind your dog to emphasize the leaves. It’s a great way to show off your dog and the beauty of the season.

Include the Environment

7) Love the entire landscape? Place your dog at an intersecting point following the rule of thirds. (Think of where the lines cross on a tic-tac-toe board.) Environmental portraits like this can be stunning.

Pay Attention to the Background

8) Keep your dogs and other family members at least 10 feet from the background. This helps keep the background out of focus, emphasizing your family members. The leaves become the accent of the photo, not the main subject. (This works best with a camera or phone in “portrait” mode. If you use a camera in either manual or aperture priority, your aperture should be relatively open, e.g., F 4.0.)

Photograph of Lab Mix Outside in the Fall

Puppy photo taken outside in the fall in a basket

Consider Your Clothing

9) When people are in the photos, clothing colors should complement the foliage. (This is true for every season). Think oranges and maroons, not aqua and hot pink. If you prefer neutral colors, choose cream over white. (White is great at the beach but doesn’t work well outside in the fall.)

Photo of woman with French Bulldog Puppy

It’s Not All About the Leaves

10) Think outside the box. When most people think of fall photos, they think of trees with fall leaves. And those are definitely spectacular. But fall flowers are beautiful too, (although our allergies may not agree). One of my favorite photos is in front of or in my meadows. I love the golden color of the grasses as well as their seed pods.

Photo of Golden Retriever in front of golden grasses

Photo of Dog On Chair Taken Outside in the Fall

Here are my favorite places in Loudoun County for fall photos with your pets.

If you’re planning to be in the photos with your pets, get my tips for what to wear.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to schedule a fall photo session. I am a pet photographer, specializing in photographs of pets and pets with their people. I serve all of Northern Virginia, including Loudoun, Fairfax, Leesburg, Ashburn, and Reston, as well the DC Metro area, and I would love to create portraits of your pets that reflect how you feel about them and that you will treasure for a lifetime!