Month-by-Month: Pros and Cons for Scheduling your Fall Family Portraits

The ages of your children, temperatures, sunset times, seasonal changes and school calendars are all things that will impact your session on the day as well as the look and feel of your portraits. If you worry that your younger kids can’t handle a late evening session, avoid early Fall. Maybe your number one goal is to wait for sweater weather? Make sure you schedule your session after Halloween. And if the main concern is getting your portraits done in time to send holiday cards in early December, don’t wait until November to set your session date. For busy families, there’s a lot to consider, so here is our guide for planning Autumn family photos in Austin so that you get the portraits you dream of from your Fall session. 

September: Early Fall 

• The first day of Autumn typically falls between September 21 and 24, changing every year. With the start of school in August, a lot of us start to feel that Fall fever, dreaming about cooler days, and simply cannot wait to get a jump on seasonal activities, including your annual Fall family portraits. If this is you, go for it. 
• September is too early if you really want a landscape with fall foliage, but the trees will be super lush and vibrant with greens in every shade. 
• Scheduling early may score you some savings on your session costs. Many photographers are busiest during the Fall months and throughout the holiday season; everyone wants family portraits for their holiday cards. If you decide to reserve an early-Fall session date, you may be rewarded with an early bird rate. 
• The average high temperature in Austin in September is still 91 degrees – so for some, this may not feel ‘Fall’ enough – if you want to avoid the heat, or you really want it to ‘feel like Fall,’ September is probably too early for you to book your session. 
• If you have school-age kids, with activities after school, you may need to schedule later in the evening. September has longer days with sunsets between 715p to almost 8p. Our sunset sessions are always as close to sunset as possible, so for you, September sessions may work best. 
• Rush hour traffic should be long gone if you schedule a later session. 
• What to wear? Mom could still wear a summer dress that’s sleeveless or short-sleeved and sandals. Flannel and corduroy are probably best avoided for everyone. 

October: Could be Fall-like

• The average high temperature in October is 82 degrees with a low of 60 degrees – so it could still be pretty warm, or it could be ‘Fall-like’ – but it almost certainly will not be cold. 
• October calendars fill up faster than any other month for families with kids, it seems. With Fall field trips and fall festivals, weekends at the pumpkin patch, Halloween events at school, and trick-or-treating, open evenings are hard to find for a photo shoot. 
• Days are still long, so sessions will be scheduled later in the evening (sunset ranges from 645p to 715p).
• What to wear? If the heat doesn’t bother you, you could definitely plan a ‘Fall’ wardrobe for everyone in the family, knowing it may be on the warmer side. Cardigans are great to slip on/off if you feel too hot. 

November: Finally Feels Like Fall

• The average high temperature in November is 71 degrees with a low of 50 degrees — finally, it feels like Fall.
• For the best chance for peak fall foliage, schedule in November — leaves can start to change in late October, but the peak will usually be between late November and early December. 
• School-aged children will be out for a Fall break during the week of Thanksgiving. This time off from school may be the easiest time for your family to schedule your session. 
• Daylight Savings Time ends every year in the first week of November. So, November may be perfect for your family if you’ve been waiting for cooler weather and you still want to schedule your session a littler earlier in the evening. After Daylight Savings Time ends, sessions will begin as early as 430p. 
• If you want the best chance of cool temps, but also require a later evening session, schedule your session in the first week of November before Daylight Savings Time ends. 
• What to wear? Pull out all your favorite Fall wardrobe pieces — bring the scarves, boots, winter hats and knits. 

December: You Can Count on the Cold

• The average high temperature in December is 64 degrees with a low of 43 degrees – you can count on the cold in December, so if your top priority is making sure that Mom doesn’t break a sweat chasing the kids during your photo shoot, December is the way to go. 
• Peak fall foliage tends to run into early December, although it is possible most of the leaves will have fallen by then. If that’s the case, the bare branches will make a lovely ‘wintry’ landscape. 
• If you have a baby, toddlers or very young children, you may not want to chance cold weather. For a lot of Texans, 43 degrees might be just a little too cold for you to have your new baby out in the park for an extended period. 
• You may pay a premium for your family portrait sessions if you prefer to wait until December. For photographers fully booked with families who all expect their portraits to be delivered in time to order Christmas or holiday cards, demand is at it’s peak at this time. High demand and rush orders may cost you more. 
• December is great for little ones with early bedtimes – days are shortest in December with darkness falling as early as 530p. For parents of toddlers and young children, this could be perfect for your family. If your kids start to lose it after a certain hour, these sessions will be earlier than at any other time of the year, since our outdoor sessions are always within about one hour of sunset.
• Rush hour traffic may become a factor with earlier session times. 
• If you love sending holiday cards with your family portraits, you probably won’t want to wait until December to schedule. 
• What to wear? Bundle up the kids. Sweaters, flannel, boots and scarves will all be a safe bet. Bring a flannel or gingham blanket that you can sit on or wrap up in for a few shots. If it’s really cold, coats and mittens are great additions for your photos.