September 22 means it’s officially FALL. Perhaps you’ve already felt the season on your doorstep. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, fall recipes have hit my algorithm, and my daughter is already asking about Halloween. It’s a special time of year— our favorite sports return with vigor, family traditions circle back around, and the crispness of the air changes our summer clothes to cozy warmer threads.
I think Victoria Erikson said it best when she described fall: “If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour." There’s something magical about this season and there are so many things to celebrate, capture, and remember. If you’re a fall fangirl like I am, then you may be finding ways to capture and remember this present season.
Here are FIVE photo ideas for you to partake in this fall:
(This image was taken at my local plant nursery— this photo is featured on Unsplash— click the image to download a copy for your iPhone wallpaper)!
A picture of a pumpkin patch/or a seasonal favorite. Every year (per my request) my family makes a visit to our local greenhouse. Every year they bring in hundreds of pumpkins. Call me naïve, but growing up I only ever thought pumpkins were orange. You know, the giant kind we messily carve into jackolanterns. However, I’ve since learned that pumpkins can be green, and white, and yellow, and have bumps and stripes and all kinds of patterns! My favorite variety is the “Fairytale Pumpkin.” They truly are a sight to behold and we go to see them when our local nursery has their “fall festival” day. This is something our family has done for years and I get a quick snapshot of my kids every year (often in denim) against the rows and rows of pumpkins. I treasure these photos every fall.
A family tradition. There are some things that we often do as traditions that are left undocumented, but are deeply woven into who we are as a family. Every year around the holidays I reread a blog by Sarah J. Hauser to remind myself about the art of remembrance. In her blog, which you can read here, she gives us a peek into her family tradition of making a Swedish Tea Ring.
"Every year before Christmas, several women in my family gather to bake. We make batches of family-favorite cookies and more importantly, my mom’s Swedish Tea Ring. After she passed away, I felt a compulsion to keep baking it. Rolling out dough and sprinkling sugar help me savor the goodness of God during a holiday that tastes a little bitter after her death...”
Truth be told, I probably couldn’t replicate her tea ring as beautifully as she has photographed, but the important thing of note is that it is something WORTH remembering. Is there a family tradition, like a recipe you make year after year, passed from generation to generation that is worth documenting to remember?
A picture of your child unposed. Children grow and change so rapidly that often my kids wear a shirt once and then seemingly the following month can no longer fit in it. I am 1000% convinced that capturing our kids in their adolescence is not only a privilege, but also something we’ll never regret. If you have littles and want to take a new snapshot of them this fall— find a way to make it fun. One of my favorite pictures of my daughter is her first time eating a donut. Grab some donuts, or a fall treat, and snap away! Sticky fingers and all.
Something that brings you joy. Stay with me here… there is science to seeing images of what you are looking forward to or what you love (this is the reason why people make vision boards and print images of their loved ones). I’ll spare you the neuroscience, but there have been studies done that have found that our brains “value-tag” or assign meaning to images. And because we know we can change our brains over time (neuroplasticity)— looking at the things we love and value, will only influence our thinking patterns for the better. Every year I take at least one picture of leaves in my area that have changed into orange, yellow, and red. I love noticing the changing of the leaves— and while I may never print that image out, the photo widget on my phone is set to show me pictures I’ve taken on my home screen, and when those leaves appear on my screen, it brings me a genuine moment of joy and from that gratitude.
A family portrait (and one of just you and your spouse). Okay. Mom talk for a second. In my experience, moms are often the ones who are talking all the pictures— which means, they are behind the camera and not in front of it. I have a slew of pictures of my husband and kids and them together, however, the ones with me in them are often selfies. Mom. Here is your permission to get in front of the camera. Even if you feel awkward, don’t know what to do with your hands, or hate it altogether. A year from now when you go to remember 2022, you’ll see that you were apart of it all. And if your kids get to see you in the pictures, I promise they won’t be as hard on you as you are on yourself. Your smile alone means more to them than anything else. And while you’re at it, get alone for a moment with your spouse. Just the two of you— and take a picture and frame it. You’ve lived a lot of life together— celebrate that. Plant your stake in the ground— take the pictures— or let me take them for you. Up to you— but don’t miss the moment.
If you’re looking to hit the easy button on family photos this year— give me a shout. I have a few mini sessions left. And once you book, I’m with you every step of the way. Bring me your chaos— I’ll take care of the rest.